Congratulations Mr Malfoy
by Bickie
Summary: Can Hermione and Draco work together without killing each other? or worse without f'ing each other?
1. Congratulations Mr Malfoy

Welcome to a story about the most unlikely pairing since Voldemort and Molly- drum roll- it's a Draco and Hermione story! enjoy!

Chapter One: Congratulations Mr Malfoy

"Well congratulations Mr Malfoy you have managed to scare away all your partners" The chief was saying, the vein near his temple throbbing dangerously.

Draco smirked at the recollection of his latest partner. He had been an edgy sort of character, not a bad wizard- much more accurate and knowing than the ones before him, but that being said Draco couldn't stand him. Russell or 'Rusty' as he insisted being called had a cocky attitude among other things but his major downfall was his hastiness to use magic even before finding out the real facts. That's what special agents were hired for, for Merlin's sake, finding out the real facts. Draco understood like all good agents that you were defined by your ability and not by the weapon and that the best of them actually didn't need to rely on magic at all. Stupid, arrogant and self-important rookies never understood though and Draco took it upon himself to put them back in their places.

Rusty had also talked endlessly about his personal life which violated everything Draco stood for. There was a professional line he found himself always pointing out but to no avail. Draco knew it was partly his fault the partnership didn't work out but he didn't ask to hear about Rusty's marital problems with his wife Jen and how although their life was perfect Rusty thought there was something wrong. Draco wasn't a people person and listening to that everyday slowly drove him crazy. He couldn't help that he didn't like people- he had a low tolerance for stupidity and what could he do about the fact that was mostly everyone he encountered. But he was civil up to a certain point. The point ending for Rusty when he once again acted without thinking and used magic in front of a muggle family and on an innocent muggle.

Now back in his Hogwarts' years Draco wouldn't have cared less but he had changed during the war, for Merlin's sake he double crossed Voldemort and after the war joined the Special Forces in the ministry. He had changed in loyalties but not so much else. He knew he was the same smartass, sarcastic and somewhat bitter person but it worked for him.

Rusty seemed to take it personally and Draco remembered how he enjoyed jinxing the muggle, Draco had seen the same look in his eyes as one of the death eaters and it sickened him. So Draco had thrown Rusty's sorry ass into a nearby creek telling him to cool down. He could have done worst he defended; it was really an improvement considering he didn't play in malicious pranks on him… besides the crocodiles he had projected in the creek. In the end Rusty had filed an official complaint and transferred, a far better result than the usual A.V.O or lawsuit Draco thought.

"Stop smirking" The chief interrupted Draco's thoughts, "You're not indispensable you know, you may be one of the best but your proving not to be worth it" The chief loosened his tie and rolled up his sleeved, looking uncomfortable in his chair and frowning across at Draco so deeply, Draco almost couldn't see his eyes.

But Draco had grown accustomed to seeing his boss like this- all bothered and stressed and barely flinched. However he did not enjoy seeing his boss like this because he admired and liked the guy.

Neil Henderson was a fifty-two year old, proud father of four, accomplished wizard, special agent and a major player in the war against Voldemort. He was also a no bullshit kind of guy which was why Draco liked him. They first met when Neil became Draco's contact for the allies when he was a spy and had grown used to each others ways and eventually became friends when the war ended.

"That hurts chief it really does" Draco said dryly sitting back in his chair.

"Listen boy" Neil snapped, "I don't care if you have poor people skills, you cannot use that excuse for not keeping a partner, everyone needs one, its protocol, the shit that happens out there is too much for one person"

"I can handle it Neil, I'm good at what I do" Draco sprang up from his chair to argue his case, "I didn't need anyone during the war"

"Well this isn't the war" Neil replied with a smirk, using the line he always used to win the argument, "you are a simple ministry agent, under my office and you'd do well to remember that"

Draco wanted to scream some more but he restrained himself. He would work something out without compromising his dignity, he was not about to stoop to a five year olds level by throwing a tantrum.

"Fine when do I come back to the office?"

"Your new partner will start on Monday, enjoy the weekend"

"But today's Thursday!"

"I said enjoy the weekend" Neil said sternly.

"Yes sir" Draco muttered and left his office in the worst mood.

Hermione entered her chief's office hardly noticing the people saying hello to her on the way she was distressed.

"Bonjour Hermione" The chief greeted her from her seat, the spectacular view in the window behind the chief not even drawing Hermione's attention as she entered.

"Bonjour Gabbie" Hermione said as she hastily took her seat.

"Merci pour votre temps, ah thank you for your time" Gabbie reverted to English as she always did so she could practice her English out on Hermione, one of the few fluently English speaking agents she came in direct contact with on a regular basis.

"No problem Gabbie you sounded anxious on the phone" Hermione couldn't hide the anxiety she herself felt. She had just finished completing the forms for her case; her and her partner Anthony had closed just that morning when she had received Gabbie's call. Instantly she had dropped everything and cancelled her date. Hermione was about to go out to dinner with a man her work friends had set her up with. It was the result of constant complaint about her lack of love life, especially made pathetic by the fact she was living in Paris for the last three years. It wasn't her fault she had often said, her department needed her and she hated to admit it but she relied on that draining need. She liked being the number one agent and she worked her ass off for that title. And although she liked men they always just came and went, her job was the one constant.

"Ah yes sorry but I have some important news that could not wait til Monday" The older woman said with a heavy French accent, pushing back her greying strands of her hair and adjusting her glasses fretfully.

Hermione looked at Gabbie closely. Gabbie was in very good shape for her senior years, she was a small framed woman like Hermione and adorned skirt suits much like muggle lawyers, always a neat and a graceful example to the whole department. Hermione was more of a leather pants and boot wearing agent, finding skirts impractical for her line of work, plus her boss Gabbie didn't mind as long as she got the job done.

"Well cutting to the chase it seems that the British department needs a new agent, they cannot find anyone good enough or brave enough"

"What do you mean by brave enough?" Hermione asked confused. All jobs in the Special Forces required a certain amount of courage and guts but it wasn't exactly in the job description.

"Oh they were not talking about the job itself, they are talking about bravery to deal with the other agent they would be working with"

"I see… how bad is the agent? Hang on you aren't suggesting me for the job, I have a place here" Hermione said alarmed standing up. For a minute there she had thought Gabbie was asking for her advice on whom to send.

"Si I didn't suggest you but seeing you are here temporarily and are on an exchange program by the British, they asked for a report and of course I could not lie so I told them you were the best" Gabbie looked miserable holding out a folder to Hermione she said, "this is your new partner and all the details of your department, you will have to leave on Sunday"

Hermione was silent for a moment before she took the folder and slid it into her bag.

"Merci pour ton soutien. Thankyou for your support" Hermione said angrily not understanding why her boss was selling her out. She started for the door.

"Hermione I didn't have a choice, you are the best agent I have had the privilege of working with, I was trying to make you a permanent" Gabbie swore, "I am powerless and I can't stand it! Those greedy British, after learning you were the best they had to snap you up quick fast and our ministry couldn't overrule them, you are a British citizen after all"

Hermione nodded seeing that Gabbie looked distraught. Part of her knew Gabbie couldn't have done anything.

"And Hermione, tomorrow is only Saturday you will enjoy your last day in Paris, we shall have a going away party for you then it doesn't matter how short notice-ok?" Gabbie said trying to sound cheerful.

"Alright but no speeches" Hermione joked and then left before she started to cry and ruin her confident, tough girl image she knew Gabbie never bought.


	2. The new partner

Chapter Two: The New Partner

Draco stopped in at the muggle café he had adopted as his regular on the way to work that Monday morning. He was always in wonder about how muggles made the best coffee in the world without magic and he always watched in fascination as the people behind the counter fiddled with a great many knobs on a beast-like machine to create the genius that was his coffee.

He didn't really have coffee in his house. He didn't even live in a house; he lived in luxurious but Spartan apartment even though he could afford several houses. It had all the benefits that great wealth could buy but all the character of someone who only went there to sleep. But he didn't care. He hardly entertained people, he mainly brought home women anyway and there was really only one place he entertained them in. Socially, Draco went to the occasional social affair that he was expected to go to or those exclusive functions that he was invited to because of his wealth and reputation. He didn't know why he went; people knew he was going to ignore everyone anyway but he was somewhat proud and vain and clung on to his reputation.

The only people he considered close friends was Neil, his wife Cherry and Thad the minister for the department of the misuse of magic, so if they weren't at the functions he was stuck brooding on his own-by choice. The rest of his 'friends' he couldn't stand.

While he was sitting down at his regular table, skimming the newspaper he spared a thought to consider who his new partner might be. Neil had given him no information which possibly meant that he hadn't found someone in such short notice or that Draco would be unhappy with it. He hoped it was the former so he didn't have to work with another fool.

Suddenly he was impatient about getting into the office to see which stupid rookie it was going to be and had to convince himself to just finish his coffee and go on to the office on time. He didn't want to arrive early and look eager.

Hermione was furious when she went home and read through the file on Friday night. It was none other than Malfoy. That stupid prat who scared away all his partners was Malfoy and he bloody ruined her career in France. What a dick. She had never become friends with Malfoy after the war even after learning he had double crossed Voldemort and that some of the information he had passed helped saved the lives of many she loved including Ron, Ginny and Harry. Ginny and Harry were now married and elevated to the status of magical royalty, currently in the middle of a sort of world tour. It was a crazy lifestyle but they enjoyed it. Initially Ron had gone to France with Hermione for a change of scenery before falling back in love with his ex-girlfriend Luna and moving back to England to become the vice minister for magic. Everyone else she loved was back in England but Hermione couldn't just go back to settle even when her one friend in France left, she didn't want to go back to living like nothing had happened so she stuck it out in France. And after three years she had risen through the ranks and established herself as an accomplished special agent.

Thinking about that for a moment she realised Malfoy must be number one to for her to be asked to be his partner…which meant he was going to be a cocky pain in the ass. She suddenly missed her French friends, the feelings of sadness stabbed at her like a sharp knife. The weekend had gone so quickly she reflected time seemed to fly right from when she looked through the file on Malfoy to the huge party on Saturday and then to the emotional farewell at the airport. When she arrived at the hotel on Sunday all she did was cry but now it was Monday and she was adjusting to it all, after all it was her job to adjust quickly and adapt so she put a restraint on her feelings.

Sitting in the car that was to bring her to the ministry she flicked through her case folder she had received on Sunday and then through Malfoy's file again reading through Malfoy's treatment of his partners. Oh yes it seemed to her he hadn't changed at all.

"Ah yes can you just pull up here thanks I can walk the rest of the way" She requested and got out as soon as the driver pulled up. She needed to walk some of her anger off or else she might punch Malfoy in the face.

"So where is this new partner of mine?" Draco asked sliding into the seat in Neil's office. The only thing that betrayed his restlessness was the constant number of times he dragged his hands through his short hair.

"Should be here soon" Neil promised not looking up from his paper work.

"I hope you have some good assignments for us this week" Draco said hoping to get a hint about the competence of the person by what assignments Neil issued.

"Yes"

"Like what?"

"Oh do we really have to do this now, I have to finish these" Neil sighed but gave Draco his full attention.

"Alright well first up you have to conduct an investigation into an attempted assassination"

Draco listened carefully as Neil outlined all the cases that they were to get through and it sounded like his new partner was good. Normally for starters he'd get a lightweight case to settle the new partner in… it was all very interesting.

Suddenly Neil stopped talking and stood up looking past Draco's head. So there was his new partner, Draco wondered if he should have a go at him for being late but thought better of it, he would probably be scared of him enough as it is having heard all the rumours and no doubt read the file. He didn't want to scare him away…yet.

Turning around he almost fell over himself. Not only was his partner a girl- but it was Hermione Granger!

She looked different to when he last saw her which was a few years ago. She was taller and leaner than he remembered, wearing tight leather pants for Merlin's sake! She was also wearing a white singlet top, carrying a green woollen coat in her hand and Malfoy took her all in greedily. Her hair a chaos of curls was clipped behind her neck and a few curls fell loosely around her neck. She was beautiful.

Suddenly two things hit him awakening him from his scrutiny, firstly she was supposed to be his partner whom he wasn't going to stand for and secondly she was wearing a murderous expression aimed at him which actually had him worried.

Hermione was late because she was stopped by many of her friends she left behind after the war who had evidently gotten a job in the ministry while she was away in Paris. After listening to a lot of announcements such as pregnancies, marriages and divorces she finally excused herself and found her way to the ministry of Special Forces. She had never worked in the ministry of Special Forces in London before because the board had accepted her effort in the war as preliminary training and allowed her to go work in the French department immediately. So she had never met the Chief and she was fairly nervous.

On arrival in the office, she identified Malfoy's familiar blonde head which she was relieved to find not facing her and when she looked past him she caught her first glimpse of the chief. A formidable looking man she tried not to feel intimidated, his reputation was legendary.

"Ah you must be Miss Granger" the older man greeted her and invited her in.

"Yes I am, sorry I'm late" she apologised and slid into the chair next to Malfoy hardly looking at him.

"No problem, I trust you got settled into a ministry apartment alright?"

"Ah no I'm staying in a hotel actually" Hermione answered.

There was a short silence and she knew that both Malfoy and the Chief were asking themselves if she didn't expect to be here long due to such a temporary living arrangement. She wanted to inspire some confidence however so she spoke up, "I am hardly home and when I do get home I don't have time to do washing up and other domestic things" She offered by way of explanation.

The chief nodded, "I see, well I trust you have read through your case files I sent over?"

"Yes, it's the investigation into the assassination attempt first isn't it?" Hermione said getting out her folder much to the pleasant surprise of the Chief.

"Good to see you are organised," The Chief beamed at her when she looked up, "Call me Neil by the way".

Draco groaned inwardly. To be invited to call the chief Neil meant she had his approval. Virtually none of his partners had stayed long enough to earn his approval so the fact that he took to Hermione straight away meant getting rid of her was going to be harder than he thought.

"I've been informed you two are old school friends" The chief was saying.

"Oh by whom?" Hermione asked throwing a curious look over at Draco to which he shrugged, he didn't even know she was going to be his partner and if he did he wouldn't have described their relationship as friends at all.

"That would be by Miss Lavender in accounting"

Hermione and Draco both snorted.

"What?" Neil asked taken aback by their simultaneous snorts.

"Nothing" Hermione quickly recovered and scolded herself for snorting at her new boss.

"Well actually we were best enemies" Draco said casually and Hermione threw a contemptuous look at him. What he said was so unnecessary.

"Is it going to be a problem?" Neil asked sternly looking at them both closely.

"No" Hermione quickly answered for them both, "We never really knew each other"

"It better not be a problem" Neil said looking directly at Draco who smirked. Hermione felt her cheeks grow warm, she was furious that Malfoy insisted on embarrassing her on her first day here because even though she didn't want to be here, she had a reputation to uphold.

"Sir I assure you it wont be, not if I have anything to do with it" Hermione's voice was ice and Neil was only glad that her venom wasn't directed at him.

"I trust you would want us to get started straight away" She was saying getting up to leave.

Neil smiled, he did like her fire. He was going to suggest they take a few hours to get to know each other but that might prove counter-productive. It was better that they established a professional relationship immediately before they were at each others throats. He couldn't force them to be friends and didn't want to waste time trying.

"Of course Miss Granger whenever you are ready"

Hermione knew she was being slightly obnoxious but she was eager to immerse herself in work so she didn't feel homesick. Home she felt was her hotel room in France and not partnered with this idiot.


	3. Mounting tension

Chapter Three: Mounting tension and solving a case

"So Granger, what have you been doing with yourself for three years since the war?" Draco enquired when they got into the car.

"Hm it's going to be hard to get used to driving on the left again" Was all she said as she pulled on her seat belt and got out her folder and a pen.

"You might not want to adjust that seat" Draco warned when she leaned back to fiddle with the seating settings.

"Oh and why is that Malfoy?" she asked annoyed, "oh do I detect a jinx?" she suddenly said and pulled out her wand from her boot.

"Yes well it was for my new annoying partner" Draco shrugged and watched curiously as she tapped the seat a few times. Suddenly an image of the seat morphing into a giant cow pat floated from her wand in a green cloud.

"Expose spell" Draco said impressed.

"Yes how amusing your mind is, now get rid of the jinx and any others you have in store because I'm not just some rookie here for you to torment" Hermione said crossly.

"Calm the hell down "Draco grumbled as he removed a few spells here and there from inside the car, "you're lucky I even told you"

"No" corrected Hermione, "you're lucky you told me".

"Whatever" He muttered starting the car and pulled off the curb.

"And by the way, what I have been 'doing with myself' as you so eloquently put it is none of your business" Hermione suddenly answered his question from before.

"Well good because I don't care"

"What a mature thing to say" Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Listen Granger I don't care if you are having your period I am not arguing with you"

"Oh I'm not having my period" Hermione said angrily, "why do all men say that when really it's just because that all men are stupid and women happen to have a low stupidity tolerance"

Draco had to laugh then, "You are something"

"Oh shut up" Hermione huffed and opened her folder reviewing notes on the case and comparing them with each other.

"What are you doing?"

"Having a picnic what does it look like?" Hermione snapped.

Draco sighed but didn't say anything and they kept on in silence for quite awhile.

Draco was annoyed. Deeply, deeply annoyed, one he did not like people acting all superior, two she was just as irritating as his last partners and three he actually wanted to know the happenings in her personal life.

"You are not my partner" He said suddenly, angry at himself for letting her treat him just as he treated his other partners without doing anything about it.

"Excuse me?"

"I don't want you here"

Hermione shrieked, she herself didn't want to be here- he made it sound like she was here on purpose. All the anger she felt towards him was swiftly at a dangerous boiling point and she was just about to let him have it when suddenly her phone rang.

"Lucky bastard" She muttered before picking it up.

"Bonjour belle femme, hello beautiful woman" the voice of her old partner Anthony greeted her.

"Bonjour Cheri" she replied smiling for the first time since she was in England.

She could tell Draco was giving his full attention to her phone call and that made her smirk. He probably thought she was talking to a boyfriend instead of her Gay ex-partner.

"How's your new partner?" she asked trying not to sound bitter that she was replaced instantly.

"Uh he's a little fuck up but he's got the potential, nothing like you but" Anthony complained as if he could tell that was what she wanted to hear.

"Your English is superb except you forgot to translate the part where the whole team is wearing black and is still in mourning for me" Hermione joked.

"Yeah sorry my bad" Anthony laughed, "Hey and guess what the guy's name is? Rod can you believe it what a hoot! Oh and he has terrible fashion sense so your absence is hitting me twice as hard"

"Sorry to hear that" Hermione felt her mood lift. Anthony always knew what to say to cheer her up.

"How's your partner?" He asked.

Hermione looked at Draco until he turned to her and when he did she said, "Oh he is a bastard" making sure he knew she was talking about him.

Draco muttered under his breath and turned back to the road.

"Oh shit Rod is back from the bathroom, wouldn't want him to think that I approve on using the work phone to call overseas so it's au revoir from me" Anthony farewelled.

"Au revoir" She said sadly before hanging up.

"So was that your partner?" Draco asked.

"Yes"

"Does he know he is gay?"

"What?" Hermione asked taken back at the unexpected comment.

"Well as you know we have to study profiles for this job but even if I hadn't" Draco explained, "Anyone that comments on his new partner's fashion sense and greets you with hello beautiful woman is gay".

"So you eavesdropped" Hermione accused, annoyed that he observed so much.

"Well you are right next to me and cell phones echo somewhat"

"Whatever" Hermione muttered, "Hold up, plenty of men greeted me as belle in Paris, it was like a pet name and you have no idea if the new partner looked so sloppy that even a straight man would notice"

Draco rolled his eyes.

"Can I assume you are straight?"

"Yes" Draco answered darkly, "And may i assume you have a point?"

"But you are wearing a designer suit and you look good so therefore you're gay" Hermione trumped.

"Oh so you think I look good?" Draco smirked.

"Yes, well isn't that the point?" Hermione defended herself feeling slightly embarrassed, "isn't that the point of whatever exercise you do that keeps you looking buff for women?"

"Is it?" Draco antagonized still smirking.

"Oh stop trying to make it seem like I am drooling over you" Hermione snapped, "I am merely pointing out what I have observed, clearly you are a vain man"

"Yes clearly" Draco winked, "but yes I do see your point but your partner is gay, I could also tell by the way you looked over at me while you were talking and what you said".

Hermione felt herself flush angrily, "Oh?"

"You wanted me to think he was your lover not necessarily to make me jealous but curious" Draco frowned as he thought about it, "but you called him cheri which I know means darling and had your conversation in front of me and never once said the words I miss you or I love you, and as you identified yourselves as partners and you strike me as a someone who wouldn't fuck with their partner calling him darling wouldn't be safe unless you viewed him as not a threat"

Hermione fumed in silence for a long time after that. What a bloody know it all. So Draco wasn't completely useless but did he have to go analyse her like she was a piece of evidence?

"This is it" announced Draco pulling into the car park.

"Good" Hermione said darkly and got out of the car before it had stopped.

"What the hell!" Draco swore but couldn't stop in the middle of the roadway to get out and yell at her- was she bloody mental? He watched as she stalked over to the park, heading to the taped off restricted section not even glancing back once.

She was so not going to stay.

Hermione introduced herself to the ministry officers that had been at the scene at the time of the crime and were awaiting interviews and explained that her 'partner' was off parking. She involuntarily smirked to herself when she thought about how pissed off Malfoy would be about her jumping out of the car and starting the investigation without him.

The investigation, according to her files concerned an incident that happened on Sunday morning. The Ambassador for international magical relations was narrowly missed by three unforgivable curses during an appearance at the unveiling of a new fountain dedicated to him. He also doubled as the Ambassador for goodwill and civil rights in the muggle world and both the magical and muggle community were horrified and demanded justice. Her role in the case would be unsatisfying she knew considering the importance of the Ambassador. This meant that all she and Malfoy were allowed to do was figure out who attempted to kill him as what was done with the perpetrator and even finding them would be handed over to a more politically orientated unit to deal with. Sensitive cases like this always pissed Hermione off. It always made her feel like she was doing only a half ass job because she never got to close it. However she knew it would definitely give her more little gold stars on her record, so to speak. Agencies were always looking for people who could take orders without being ruled by their emotions or morals.

"Could you take me to the spot where the Ambassador was standing?" she requested and the officers jumped over themselves to show her. Possibly because of her high rank but also possibly because of her appearance. She loved being admired, especially since she worked her ass off literally in the gym to keep fit and in shape.

"Granger" a cold voice suddenly said behind her giving her the shivers.

"Oh Malfoy you made it good for you" she grinned turning around.

Draco grunted and frowned at her with his arms crossed and Hermione could tell he wanted to yell at her but didn't want to cause a scene.

"These nice officers are going to show us where the Ambassador was standing" she winked at the officers who to Draco's annoyance stood up straighter clearly liking what they saw.

"Good, well get a move on" He said gruffly and the officers knowing him by reputation hurried onwards, leaving Hermione with nothing to do but to drop back with Draco.

"We'll talk later" He hissed.

"No I don't think we have anything to talk about" Hermione insisted audaciously.

"I swear to Merlin, you push me and I'll give you what you want" Draco whispered angrily as they caught up to where the officers stopped.

"What you will just drop dead?"

Draco had never been so aggravated in his life. He however restrained himself from throttling her and went to interview the officers.

"You tell me everything you know and I swear if you get one detail confused I will charge you with obstructing justice" he barked at one of them.

By the end of it the officers were so frightened of him; they looked like they were going to cry.

"Malfoy I think you've asked them enough" Hermione had jumped in furious at him for taking his anger out on them.

Draco just grunted but dismissed them nonetheless.

Hermione gave them a sympathetic look as they scurried past her. Draco really was a bastard. He probably traumatised them.

There was a long tense silence that involved Hermione and Draco staring at each other angrily.

"Well I have got all the information I need, including the physical evidence" Draco suddenly announced breaking eye contact and heading over to the car park.

"Oh as if you know who did it yet"

"Don't tell me you don't"

"Actually I do" Hermione declared looking down at her notes she had scribbled for the last half hour Draco had interrogated the officers.

"Oh yeah fine then let's each write then name down on a slip of paper and swap" Draco suggested with an arrogant smirk, "unless of course you need more time".

"Just shut up and do it" Hermione spat.

Hermione and Draco were both silent as they wrote the names of who they thought had done it down on their slips of paper before handing it to each other.

"Alright on three" Draco said.

"Three" Hermione said immediately to Draco's annoyance and looked at the slip he had given her.

"Hm" she said.

He looked down at his and knew what she meant. They had both written the Ambassador's Public Relations manager's name- Lenny Franks.

"Why did you write him?" Draco asked.

"Because he has a reputation for promoting his clients as heroic and inspiring no matter the risk, that being in this case the risk of the curses actually hitting the Ambassador".

"Yeah but why did you write him, explain your process, Lenny Franks has never done anything like this before" Draco was so far unimpressed. Lenny Franks had a reputation of being a sensationalist but that wasn't illegal.

"Ok" Hermione said aware she was being tested, "From what the officers said, the Ambassador who usually moved around the stage to fire up his audience was directed to stand behind a podium that day"

"Yes, go on" Draco encouraged.

"The officers hadn't seen the significance of it and had only mentioned it because you were harassing them for every detail; they also mentioned that an image of the Ambassador's crest was carved onto the podium on Franks' insistence and with more evidence such as the building contract, it could be proven that he was the one who had the podium built" Hermione explained, "And the possible significance of the podium is that the shooter didn't actually want to hit the Ambassador, a risk which would have been very high if he was moving around"

"Yes and the stage was clear of all people too" Draco contributed, "According to the Ambassadors statement he thanked above that his PR wanted him to be the only one on the stage so all focus was him, incase his wife was hurt"

"Oh I didn't notice that" Hermione admitted scolding herself inwardly. She had read the file several times but had never noticed that in the Ambassador's official statement.

"That's probably because it wasn't in his official statement, I heard it on the radio this morning when I was getting coffee" Draco reassured her, "it was only a small part but I bet Franks is sweating about it now"

"I don't think he would be" Hermione said, "It sounded like the Ambassador is ignorant of Franks' involvement and without the facts that we just learnt would we have reached the conclusion that Franks had arranged it?"

"Yes but most unexperienced criminals are paranoid so I think he would be trying to cover his ass" Draco said.

"Alright that means he withdrew lots of money rather than write an incriminating cheque to give cash to the hit man because he needed an expert shooter" Hermione said writing it done on her file, "The fool doesn't realise that a deduction of such a sum of money would be just as noticeable in his account records"

"Yes he might also try and destroy all records of the building contract for the podium to separate himself further from the incident" Draco added.

"Holy shit" Hermione suddenly exclaimed.

"What?"

"I just thought of something else" She said running to the podium, "the officers and the file confirmed that the curses hit the podium but the Ambassador wasn't hurt". With her wand she tapped the charred parts of the podium which were all parts of the crest. Instantly the parts feel away revealing a still activated magical shield.

"I will call it in".

"What?" Draco said in disbelief.

"I know it's him, you know it's him, we have enough evidence" Hermione said pulling out her cell, "I am not bending the rules just because you want glory"

Draco suddenly grabbed her cell phone surprising her.

"We are going to close this case ourselves" He said severely and for an instant Hermione saw the same person that the officers were so frightened of. But then she reminded herself she wasn't one to be messed with either.


	4. Full body confrontation

Chapter Four: Full Body Confrontation

"Malfoy you will give me back my cell" Hermione warned her voice shaking in anger.

"Or what?" He said with a raised eyebrow.

"Just give it back you prat" She hissed.

"Why should I do you any favours hm?" he taunted her by holding her cell phone just above her head. However she refused to play his game and make a grab for it though which made Draco admire her somewhat.

"Ever since you jumped out of the car I have had this curious feeling that you actually want me to be driven crazy and blow up and frankly I don't appreciate that"

"So what you're going to punish me by not giving me back my cell phone?" Hermione hissed.

"Well maybe you'd prefer a spanking?" Draco said and enjoyed her immediate cries of indignation.

"Are you aware I could jinx you?" she threatened.

"Uh-uh not in front of the muggles, because then you have to explain it, go through a mountain of paper work and until it can be proven that you had good reason to jinx an officer of such a high rank you have a black mark against your record" Draco winked at her and added, "I should know I have several, and trust me its not worth it"

"Fuck you" Hermione said suddenly throwing her loose coins from her coat pocket at his face and using his surprise to run to the car. As hardly anyone was there –to which Hermione thanked the Merlin and his whole family- she had no trouble finding the car which was just as well because she could hear Draco right behind her. Just as she got into the driver's seat and shut it, making to lock all the doors, the passenger's door was ripped open and Draco threw himself inside grabbing the radio just as she did.

Instantly their was a tug of war as they both wrestled for it. Finally the radio ripped from the controls and they both stopped and stared at it.

"You fucking bastard" swore Hermione, "it's like you want to get me fired"

"Actually no this is not about you"

Both their breathing was laboured and they sat in silence for a while trying to catch their breaths.

"Then it's you, it's about your stupid manly pride" huffed Hermione, "but you won't get credit for this because we are not supposed to close this case"

"I know that" Draco snapped, "I know the rules and this is not about pride! Do you know what will happen? The truth won't come out, the ministry will cover it up, Franks will be subtly dealt with but charged with something completely different and the ministry will continue to exploit the good publicity for their Ambassador but at the same time encourage fear and tighter control on the people with the pretence of trying to prevent assassinations and killings"

"It's not our jobs to decide what to do with this information; we have both signed the ministry confidentiality papers when we got this job" Hermione argued, "which means we are basically pawns of the friggin ministry, we follow orders from the higher authorities"

"So what that's that, you're just going to let the ministry keep things from the public? You're happy with a corrupt ministry?" Draco said disgustedly.

"No, but I'm going to do my job"

"Which is to protect the people" Draco retorted.

"Oh what's with this noble act, I don't have to explain myself to you and I don't appreciate you trying to make me feel guilty" Hermione said angrily, "Now give me my phone".

Draco stared at her for so long and with the hardest expression Hermione almost cracked. She had never felt so hated. Finally he furiously handed over her phone and without looking at him she made the call, her voice slightly shaking as she related all the details. When she was done she almost suffocated in the tense silence that overwhelmed the car.

"I'm driving" Draco suddenly broke the silence in a deathly quiet voice.

"Fine" snapped Hermione hating how he was making her feel.

When they had switched places Draco started the car and Hermione regretted letting him drive. He wanted to scare her with the speed and she knew it.

"Fuck you" she swore at him as he turned a sharp corner.

Suddenly he pulled into an empty warehouse and slammed on the breaks.

"No fuck you" he said turning to her.

Hermione felt her heart racing for two reasons one she was scared and two she was angry, an anger that surpassed her fear.

"You haven't changed at all" Hermione found herself yelling, "You are the same imposing, insufferable prat wanting to have his way all the time!"

"Oh and you haven't changed" Draco yelled back, "the same unsatisfied, by the book, frigid know it all!"

"I don't believe this!" she shouted, "and I don't have to listen to it!" she added undoing her seat belt and getting out of the car.

"Where are you going?!" Draco bellowed getting out of the car too.

"Away from you" she hissed running deeper into the empty warehouse.

"Why did you take this job then?" he asked when he caught up to her, grabbing her arm and turning her around.

Hermione looked up at him and twisted her arm out of his grip but remained where she was.

"Because I was forced to, the British department recalled me immediately when they learnt I was France's top agent" Hermione stabbed him in the chest with her finger accusingly, "it seemed someone over here was incapable of keeping a partner for more than a fortnight and I was perfect for the job"

"Yeah well they were all fuck ups" Draco defended angrily, "I didn't ask for-"

"-An unsatisfied, by the book, frigid know it all" interrupted Hermione disgustedly and stalked back to the car.

"Well I'm glad we had this talk" Hermione shouted opening her passenger side door only to have it slammed closed by Draco.

"What the fuck is your problem?" she swore turning around to find that Draco was only inches from her… and that he was looking down at her body in such a manner that made her flush, his arms trapping her on both sides.

"What the hell are you doing?" she demanded feeling self-conscious in her tight leather pants. She suddenly cursed her vainness for buying those pants.

"I didn't mean to call you an unsatisfied, by the book, frigid know it all" He said making eye contact.

"Yeah ok, is this how you apologise to everyone?" she asked haughtily hating herself for feeling aroused.

"No" He admitted and dropped his arms slowly, making sure his fingers trailed down her hips.

"Oh fuck you" Hermione suddenly said when he smirked at her involuntary shiver, "how dare you 'punish' me by messing with me like that! You are seriously warped!" she cursed herself for nearly falling for it and liking.

Draco just laughed and started to walk over to his side of the car but was stopped when Hermione suddenly grabbed his collar and pulled him down for a kiss, intent on seeking revenge.

It took Draco about 30 seconds to react to her teasing kiss; he tried to remain rigid and unresponsive but her kiss became desperate and wanting, like Hermione had lost the ability to control herself and it blew his mind. He could feel her press her whole body against him and he shuddered with excitement and anticipation.

Responding to the kiss he found was unsatisfying, their kisses were too short on the account of needing to breath and Hermione sometimes missed his mouth because she was shorter. Lifting her up suddenly to combat that problem, he groaned as she instantly wrapped her legs around his waist. His hands immediately released her legs to support her butt and he took pleasure in feeling all of her through the taut leather but wishing it wasn't there all the same. When she started to slip down him he turned so that she was against the car which gave her more support and allowed her to pull him closer.

He couldn't believe how aroused he was, he throbbed and he could tell she ached by the way she pushed herself at his fingers when he rubbed her. She started to pull off her jacket finding that it was getting in the way and for that reason too she also cursed her leather pants which got in the way of her and his rubbing fingers, she ached for his attention. Kissing his neck, especially near his Adam's apple, she took pleasure in his gasps and the fact that she was tormenting him as much as he was tormenting her. Just as she was causing him to groan her jacket suddenly caught her arms behind her which made her stop and make a noise of complaint, she felt unbalanced. Draco immediately noticed her predicament and started to help her but then stopped seeing an opportunity. He teasingly started to kiss her neck and suck lower and lower, through the singlet until he got to her erect nipples. Hermione groaned but was unsatisfied because of her bra and singlet.

"Fuck you tease" she groaned in his ear and he responded by pulling her body to his erection.

"No you're the tease" he murmured before slowly dropping her legs and pulling back on her jacket. He held her close for a few minutes until she recovered enough to stand on her own. It was a few minutes more before he recovered.

"Fuck" Hermione swore getting into the car. Draco said nothing but got into the car too.

"Hm", murmured Draco after a few minutes.

"Just drive" Hermione pleaded her face growing hot.

"I can't do anything right now, I'll probably have an accident if I try to drive" Draco protested leaning back in his seat groaning.

"I can't believe we did that" Hermione said, "It was supposed to be revenge but-"

"But we got caught up in it, it was fucking hot" There was a short silence in the car and Draco's words echoed in Hermione's mind. She damned herself for giving into her lust.

Finally Draco started up the car and they were on their way back to the ministry. When they parked the car Draco turned to Hermione.

"Are we going to pretend like it didn't happen?"

"Yes"

"Alright then" Draco said feeling strangely angry.

"Well we should go up to the office" Hermione said but didn't move.

"Yes we should" Draco agreed but also hesitated.

"Well technically that's right, _it_ didn't happen" Hermione suddenly declared.

"Ok I get it" he muttered.

"Good Malfoy because I don't think I could establish a professional relationship with you if you didn't get it", Hermione was saying cooly, "or the part where it won't happen again"

"You're not my partner" Draco could feel his teeth grind.

"Are you seriously starting that again?"

"I swear Granger if I have anything to do with it you are not staying much longer"

"Is this because I didn't let you close the case?" Hermione cried, "because if it is get used to it Malfoy, I do my job, that's why I'm here and that's why I'm staying because I was bloody ordered to"

"And you do everything by the book?"

"There is a reason why they have a book it's so things get done properly" she replied cuttingly getting out of the car, "as opposed to your way"

"Granger you are so annoying"

"Good because that means I'm doing my job" Hermione quipped leading the way to the elevators.

"Was it part of your job to push me against my car and nearly fuck me?" Draco sneered delighting in making her drop her cool façade.

"I thought we agreed it never happened" She accused rounding on him forgetting that she wasn't to react.

"Yes but that was before i realised how I can get you to leave"

"What? You mean black mail?" Hermione asked heatedly.

Draco was silent as the elevator opened and a flow of people swarmed out. He wanted to make her sweat and took pleasure in seeing the panic in her eyes.

"I might mean blackmail" he replied casually as he pressed the button.

"No I don't think you do" Hermione said but she was unsure.

"I don't know Granger; you don't know what I'm capable of"

"I am not leaving" she snapped.

"Well I might have to mention it"

"Well than I will have to mention about how you tried to sabotage the case and disobey orders and they will make you leave the team" Hermione threatened.

"Why would they make me leave?" Draco demanded not sure how things shifted into her favour.

"You have gone through so many partners and together with my testimony that you disobeyed orders from a higher rank they will be more inclined to keep me as I have an unblemished record besides of course your allegations" Hermione smirked, "and even those allegations will be challenged because of your poor track record with your partners and the tricks you played on them"

Draco had to stop his jaw from dropping, she was good.

"So like I said I don't think you will, of course that is if you know what's good for you" she added as the doors opened and she stepped out.


	5. A Night out

Chapter Five: A night out

Neil was very pleased with Draco and Hermione's break on the assassination case. It seemed that the new partnership was going to be a success. However when they entered his office hardly looking at each other he wondered if he should have allowed them time to bond first up, sure they made excellent leeway but he didn't want them to crack under the pressure and kill each other or something. He knew it was sure to be hard on Hermione especially seeing as she not only had to move to a different country but she had to now work with someone she had grown up hating.

As Neil was expecting the first case to take atleast a few days he decided to give them a break of course with a purpose. He was going to send them to the annual International Special Forces summit, which was perfect seeing as they were the best agents out there and it would do him credit. He told them so and was met with deathly quiet.

"You will go for a fortnight" He filled in the silence, "Here are pamphlets and other details you might want to know" he added handing over some papers.

"But what about the Davies' case?" Hermione asked, her face displaying intense concern. Neil needn't know she wasn't concerned about the case at all but about spending all this time with Draco.

"Don't worry, I have a back up team that will cover for you until you get back" he reassured. In truth it had been that same back up team in which Neil had originally arranged to represent his department at the summit. They were good but Hermione and Draco were better.

"So you are both dismissed now, there will be a car to collect both of you in the morning at ten o'clock sharp so be ready" Neil stressed, "have a good trip and remember you represent me and my department so don't hesitate to show off" he added to their retreating backs.

"Shit" Hermione muttered as they both walked down the hall of offices. Draco made a noise of agreement. They both knew then that the chief wanted them to bond which they both didn't want at all but could hardly be avoided now.

"Could you wait a moment?" Draco suddenly asked stopping them in the hall.

"For what?"

"I assume I'm dropping you off to your hotel I just have to send this memo to my friend" Draco explained pulling out a slip of parchment and a quill. Hermione shrugged feeling secretly pleased that he had considered her even if it was just how she was getting to her hotel. She was feeling very thin skinned at that moment and combined with her homesickness and what she almost did with Draco she needed some friendly words.

Draco let the memo go with a spell and it instantly flew to the elevators, on its way to Thad to confirm their dinner plans. He needed someone to talk to or he was going to go crazy.

"Well I'll drop you at your hotel now" Draco announced and they once again headed to the elevators. He had no idea why he offered to drop her to her hotel. Maybe despite hating her he wanted to be near her, something probably to do with lust.

When they got into the elevator all was quiet and awkward. They didn't have anything to say to each other, which was worse then when they were screaming at each other.

"No it's fine, I can make my own way back" Hermione suddenly said not wanting to experience anymore of this awkward silence.

"Don't be ridiculous"

"I'm not, don't call me ridiculous" Hermione cried.

"Well maybe I wouldn't if you stopped being a fool, it's on my way" Draco insisted.

"I don't won't to go to the hotel with you" she argued as the doors opened to a group of ministry workers at the car park. Her cheeks flamed as she realised how it sounded. When she and Draco had filed out and the doors closed on the workers Draco started laughing.

"Oh shut up" she huffed, "you creep"

"It's not my fault you used an unfortunate choice of words" he was still laughing.

"In any case I'm not going in the same car with you, it's enough we have to spend a fortnight near each other as it is" she spat and stalked away.

Draco looked after her, wondering if he should insist on giving her a lift, it was sure to be a fair distance. Realising he was expressing concern he scolded himself and left her to it, after all she was a tough witch.

When Hermione got back to her hotel she had several messages waiting for her. It seemed Ron and Luna were having a small get together for her with a few of her old friends. She had visited her parents on Sunday night for a roast dinner so they had left a message saying they would catch up another time as she was supposed to be going to theirs for another dinner, saying they didn't want to hog her. Ron had probably called them which was both a sweet gesture and irritating, like he assumed she would go without asking her.

Sighing she replied to the message with an owl confirming that she would go, even though all she wanted to do was sleep and eat. Heading up to her room she wondered what to wear. In the message he had said they were taking her out to a fancy wizarding restaurant and she wanted to look not only nice but stunning. She hadn't seen her old friends in 3 years so last time they saw her she was probably all gaunt and weary with fashion the last thing on her mind. Now she had curves and looked after herself more so she wanted to show off. She knew she was slightly vain but screw it she liked feeling beautiful and she had the perfect dress. It was an elegant black clinging boob tube dress that she was going to wear on her date the night she was called into Gabbie's office. She had a few eye-catching dresses like that but this one really made her look flattering, probably because she had put on a little more weight. It had taken her a few years to develop from her almost scrawny frame- she hardly ate during the war and the physical strain had caused her to break down a few times.

Jumping in the shower she took her time, involuntarily thinking about Draco as she washed herself. The one good thing about going out she realised was forgetting about the stupid prat.

Meanwhile at Draco's apartment he had a long cold shower and found himself also looking forward to his dinner with Thad, so he could also too forget about Hermione. Oh he would of course talk about her but she would become like those other girls he talked about with Thad, an object almost. Which was the best thing for it he knew because then it wasn't personal.

Draco and Thad always ate at an exclusive fancy restaurant, which always never failed them to be filled with the wizarding worlds' sexiest women. Draco planned to forget Hermione on a physical level that night as he would no doubt dazzle a young pretty thing who would only be delighted to go home with him. Much more fun than making out with an outspoken, hard to get woman like Hermione against his car… he groaned as his description failed to put the occurrence into a bad light. Despite his shower he still felt hot. There was nothing for it, he realised, he would just have to find an especially ravishing young woman and quickly. Slipping on his new suit that never failed to impress the ladies he made sure he looked irresistible before heading out. Thad had owled him telling him their reservations were for eight and he didn't want to be late and have him pick the best woman there.

Hermione went into the restaurant impressed by the luxury of it. The walls were marble and the carpets a plush red, the tables were a fair distance from the door and the maitre'd, making Hermione forget the outside world she came in from. The white clothed tables were spaced out and the ceiling was enchanted to display the starry night sky. The lighting was soft and each table had candles to create a romantic mood. There were several levels of tables, Hermione standing on the highest level while the maitre'd took her name; the levels all arranged around what was the lowest level to the far wall, a place where a full piece band was playing softly in front of a spacious dance floor where many beautiful couples were entwined and swaying to the music.

When the maitre'd found her name and the table she was to sit at, he lead her through the tables closer to the dance floor. She could feel all eyes on her as she passed the tables, the people probably wondering who she was and looking her up and down. She was glad she wore such a stunning dress and clipped her hair up, it gave her the confidence to stare right back at them and follow the maitre'd like she regularly ate in a place like this.

Unaware to her Draco was staring at her from a table not far from her own. He watched greedily as she slid into her seat in between Luna and Ron and her bare back was covered from his view. Thad noticed Draco's devout attention on this attractive woman ever since she simpered in and gave him a nudge.

"So what do you reckon, going to ask her to go home with you tonight?" he winked, knowing Draco's habits. He himself had stopped his own habits, having unexpectedly fallen for someone hard and committed himself to a real relationship. He was going to tell Draco that night and get his take on it because it was scaring him to death how much he might love her, he had never felt that way.

But he could still appreciate a stunning woman.

"No" Draco pulled himself together. Looking at Thad's expression he sensed the confusion in his friend. Usually Draco would've been at the woman's side in a second.

"That, my dear Thad is Hermione, the one I've been telling you about" Draco explained before draining a full glass of wine.

Thad looked back at that woman and let out a low whistle.

"Exactly" Draco groaned pouring him another glass of wine.

"Mate you got it bad" Thad couldn't help laughing, he had never seen his friend like this before, "you remind me of when I asked Shelly out"

"No way, you were like in love with her" Draco argued watching the back of Hermione's head.

"Still am" Thad admitted, "it's been a year".

"What!" Draco gaped giving his friend his full attention, "you never told me you were still going out with her"

"I didn't want to get you on my case"

"No I think it's great, I thought always thought she was perfect for you" Draco said noticing how uncomfortable but proud his friend looked, "so I guess I'm the last man standing" he added surprised that Thad the great womanizer had settled down.

"Judging by that woman and all that you've said, I don't think so" Thad commented.

"I'm going to ignore that"

"You can't"

"I can"

"Oh yeah so you wont mind me going to ask her to dance later?" Thad asked cheekily.

"No you wouldn't because of Shelly"

"Hey I am not settled down yet and I like the look of this Hermione"

Draco's jaw twitched and he felt strangely possessive. He didn't want to see Hermione in Thad's arms even as a joke.

"I swear Thad I will tell Shelly about you at the Christmas party two years ago and what you did if you go near her" Draco threatened.

Thad laughed, "Like I said you got it bad, and if you don't ask her to dance I don't care what you'll do I will ask her".

Draco grumbled over his dinner, so much for getting her out of his head.

Hermione was having fun catching up with her old friends. She had never laughed so hard, seriously she had to stop eating because whenever she did Fred or George seemed to determined to make her shoot out her peas through her nose.

"Ron and Luna are seriously the strangest present buyers" Fred was saying and Hermione put her fork down, "For Christmas last year they gave me and George some aloe vera, a net and a book about getting rid of something called a Gnarly"

"It's like they were trying to tell us something" George added.

"Gnarly's are creatures that infest you and make you say obnoxious things, my dad wrote a book about them" Luna explained seriously and the whole table roared with laughter.

"Like George said it was like they were tying to tell us something" Fred punched an embarrassed Ron in the arm good naturedly, "she's really quite subtle".

"Oh I didn't mean you were obnoxious" Luna suddenly said looking horrified and everyone started laughing again.

"Angelina, this is our song from the Yule ball remember" Fred suddenly said whipping her up even though she was still holding a fork full of pasta.

"Fred, I'm still eating!" she cried but she was laughing as she said it.

"That's alright, you can multi task, here I'll dip you and you can eat it" Fred said and spun her around and then dipped her back. Angelina squealed as her pasta flung off her fork and onto her shoulder.

The table watched in silent laughter as Fred leaned forward and slurped the pasta off her shoulder and smacked her lips with a kiss.

"Excuse me I need to go to the bathroom" Hermione excused herself as everyone was getting up to dance with their respective partners.

"Oh come on Hermione, I will have one dance with Luna and then you" Ron protested.

"That would be nice" she said and sat back down pleased that Ron had included her.

After a few moments though she didn't have to wait for Ron to include her in dancing because someone else demanded a dance, someone who she couldn't resist saying yes to, it was Malfoy and in her defence looking more appealing than she remembered.


	6. Dancing and playing games

Chapter Six: Dancing and playing games

Draco had to act quickly because as soon as everyone from her table got up so did Thad and he started to head towards her. He didn't want Thad to share anything with Hermione, call it a possessive male thing but he was determined if he was not to have Hermione than Thad wasn't.

"Hey man it's not like you said you had anything on her" Thad said when Draco pulled him back by the collar.

"You know very well I do have some sort of claim on her, we did nearly fuck" Draco spat not liking how crude he sounded.

"Alright ask her to dance then"

"Maybe I will, but not because you told me to"

Thad just smirked and sat back down and just then Draco had the distinct impression that he had fallen for a trick. Oh well he thought, he might as well go ask her to dance. He had come to the restaurant tonight to forget her but as she was here he had no chance.

"Would you like to dance?" He asked holding out his hand for her.

Hermione looked at him for a long time and almost hesitated, but to his relief she seemed to get caught up in the moment and where they were, she looked to stunning to sit by herself waiting for Ron to come back and dance with her.

Silently she took his hand and followed him to the dance floor. Their hands seemed to burn each others, and they didn't seem to make eye contact. Hermione's hand felt awkward on his shoulder and Draco didn't know what to do with his hand on her hip. They were all tense and they both knew it which made the dance agony. After the first song ended a slow song came on and Draco was determined to dance with her properly.

"Relax" he said into her ear.

She looked up at him about to make a cutting remark about how she couldn't with him when she made eye contact and realised he was saying it for his benefit as well.

"Ok but only if you loosen your grip on my hand" she said.

Draco laughed and put the hand he was holding onto his other shoulder and both his hands on her hips like everyone was doing around them.

"So you caught up with Weasel and Loony I see"

"Don't talk about them like that, what are you 15 still?"

"I was just trying to lighten the mood" he grunted.

"Alright then are you still hanging around with Baboon face and Dumb ass?" Hermione asked angrily.

Draco stared at her for a few seconds before laughing loudly to her surprise.

"You are so right those names suite Crabbe and Goyle" Draco said wiping his eyes with his left hand before returning it to her waist straight away. Hermione couldn't help it she flinched.

"What was that for?"

"I just don't think you should be this close to me right now" she said.

"Or what- something might happen?"

"Yeah like I throw up" she muttered.

"It's a little late to start pushing me away now" Draco said, "but if it's games you want, its games you'll get" he added huskily in her ear.

"Now wait just a moment" Hermione started but the song ended and Draco had already untangled himself and moved away. The last thing she wanted was to be caught up in some sort of game. She was already in far too deep and it was only her first day on the job.

The rest of her night like Draco's was filled with restlessness and impatience for the next day to begin. Hermione, despite all her inner conflict couldn't help feeling excited and Draco did not enjoy anyone's company that night, he went to bed alone instead with a feeling in his stomach much like the feeling one gets when Christmas is but a day a way.

The next morning right on time the ministry car picked them and they arrived in good time at the ministry with surprisingly no incidents, but to Draco's satisfaction he had noticed Hermione tense up as soon as he got into the car, she was nervous and so she should be he thought thinking about all he planned to do to her.

After their arrival they were instructed by a flying memo to meet in Neil's office where they were given the coordinates for the summit which they learned was to be held in Scotland.

"Teams from major cities from all over the world would have mostly arrived yesterday but the actually beginning of the summit will not take place until this afternoon so you have several hours to get your bearings" Neil told them when they sat down in his office, "Know that you not only represent this department but our ministry so behave yourselves" At this words Hermione wondered if he was related to Professor McGonagall…

"And have a good time" he added as if an afterthought before leaving them for a meeting.

"Oh we will" Winked Draco when Neil had left and Hermione rolled her eyes.

"You are so predictable"

"That sounds like a challenge"

"Ugh let's just go" Hermione said impatiently, she was not in the mood for games; she had hardly slept a wink last night.

"Alright, you haven't had breakfast have you?"

"No but I don't want to go get some with you!" She snapped.

"Uh, no I meant that we have to Apparate there and it's never a good idea to do so on a full stomach" Draco said laughing.

"Oh…ok then" Hermione wished the ground would swallow her up.

And pretty soon it did as they Disapperated. The feeling that the ground had swallowed her up was overwhelming, she had never liked that method of transport and had avoided it at all cost, she much preferred air planes, even the magical ones that went at break neck speeds, but didn't effect her so awfully.

So it was because of her track record she had been expecting to land on her face however actually landing on their luggage with her skirt above her waist was significantly more embarrassing, thankfully though Draco seemed to regard this situation as too easy because he helped her upright herself immediately.

"Thank you" she mumbled cursing herself for wearing a skirt with the intentions of teasing him-Served her right.

"That's alright, because I'd much prefer it when you pull your skirt up in my company on purpose" He said.

"Oh fuck you" she huffed and grabbed her bags before storming off to what appeared to be a check out table which was odd. Odd because they had apparated into a huge grass field and the table with its rich gold finish looked very out of place.

Draco hastily followed her; she had always naturally ended up in the right place even in the first year at Hogwarts and it would do well to stick with her.

"Hello, I'm Hermione Granger from the British department" She announced to a harassed looking witch in a maroon robe who was holding an official looking scroll. Two wizards were also sitting down with her reviewing scrolls but they didn't even bother looking up, giving them the impression that it was a natural occurrence for them to be out in the middle of a field and having strangers walk up to them. The older witch peered over the scroll revealing thin pencilled eyebrows drawn into a severe expression that Draco noticed even made the queen of severe expressions- Hermione- blanch, if only for a moment.

Just as severely the woman tapped her wand and the scroll beeped.

"Yes you here's your name, it says you are also here with a Draco Malfoy?"

"Yes ma'am I'm right here" Draco stepped in.

"Why do you not announce yourselves together? It would have saved me atleast a minute!" the witch's eyebrows narrowed more so, the result effect making her look ridiculous and not at all scary as she probably attended.

"My apologise" Draco said over the irritated click of Hermione's tongue.

"Yes well, your room key cards and maps are here and your schedule is in your rooms, go now"

"Why-!" Hermione started but before she could tell off that woman for her rudeness Draco seeing what was coming grabbed her arm and hastily lead her away.

As they were following their maps, Hermione instead turned on him.

"I don't know why you pulled me away, that woman was rude and she had weird eyebrows"

"What does eyebrows have to do with it?"

"Well don't you think it was unnatural?" Hermione found to her dismay that she was instead rambling, she always went off topic when she was nervous and distracted, the thing most distracting her at that moment was not just that she was alone with Draco but he was still holding her arm.

She was about to tell him to go shove it and unhand her when she remembered the game. She was going to have so much fun with him leading him on. Her first act would be not to shy away from his touch. And thanks to her lust for him it wasn't at all hard.

"This is where we will be staying?" Draco was asking her looking up at a huge sky scraper hotel.

"Shit it really just pops out of nowhere" Hermione said, realising they had put a charm on it to keep Muggle's away.

"Let's get settled and then maybe you can take me for breakfast" Hermione said, "and I meant it as a sexual innuendo" she added making Draco drop his suitcase on his toes.

She rolled her eyes, "Pathetic" she muttered, this was almost going to be too easy.


	7. Don't get burned

A/N: I feel like I should apologise about all my shocking grammar, you see I'm an impulsive writer which is just what people say when they get bored writing descriptions and want to cut to the juicy stuff. But don't worry; I have taken every piece of constructive criticism on board so hopefully the next chapters will be better.

But enough of that here is another chapter.

Chapter Seven: Don't get burned

The rooms Hermione and Draco were assigned to they found, were located at the top level of the hotel which meant a fantastic romantic view out of their windows… if they were for romance of course. But naturally they were more preoccupied with the fact their rooms had an inter-connecting door and it seemed Hermione for one didn't know if she should consider it a disadvantage or an advantage.

"Hm"

"Yes I thought so too," Draco agreed when he swung the door open and walked into her room.

"We'll I suppose I could lock it," Hermione said before she could stop herself and grimacing at how timid she had sounded, her comments rewarded with a smirk from Draco.

"Imagine walking in on me naked," she quickly added, "I wouldn't want you to get embarrassed".

"Oh please don't do me any favours".

Hermione rolled her eyes and asked him to leave. She had had enough of him and wanted to get ready for that afternoon.

"Did you want me to lock the door?" he asked laughing on his way out, "I won that point Granger you have to admit that".

"Yeah well I'm going to have a shower now and rub some oil on myself while thinking of you," she called after him making him almost trip over himself.

"What did you say?" he gaped.

"I said I think I just won that point back". And then it was Hermione's turn to be the one smirking, which was the last thing Draco saw as she slammed the door on him and locked it with a satisfied click.

Feeling smug she walked across her room to unpack. Her room, she knew from the brochures, was just like the other rooms. Magically modified so that almost a whole apartment with a kitchenette, an on suite and large bedroom fitted comfortably in what looked on the outside to be a small room with only enough space for a bed, a mini bar and a cramped toilet area. However despite all the magic at the Hotel staff's disposal to use in any other modifications, the room wasn't fancy. Everything was bare and neat, from the standard cream walls to plain green bed spread, it looked like a room that someone with a purpose would stay in rather than for leisure also given the fact there was no TV just a small radio beside the bed.

Hermione decided, after much fussing as she changed into her standard pants and a singlet, she would take a look at the view she could see out of the balcony that was attached to her bedroom. Stepping through the sliding door she was welcomed with a great gust of wind, reminding her how high up she really was. The balcony was unimpressive and plain and a small cheap plastic table and seat were pushed off to the side; however the view rightly compensated for this. Walking right up to the metal rails she gasped in delight as she could see numerous villages, tiny clusters of white squares in between the stretches of lush green. Sniffing the sweet air she had never felt so refreshed and without even thinking she threw out her hands and laughed, she didn't care if anyone saw her either… except of course Draco who incidentally just stepped out onto his balcony.

"What are you doing?" he called curiously.

Hermione squealed in surprise, she had forgotten about him, but of course he made sure to remind her of his existence during embarrassing moments.

"Well I was enjoying your absence," she called, the tense feeling back again.

The space between their balconies was only a few metres apart but Hermione prayed that he didn't notice her white knuckles as she gripped onto the rails nervously.

"Hey absence makes the heart grow fonder," he shrugged not at all put off.

"More like absinthe," she muttered feeling very much like a shot of any hard liquor.

"I heard that Granger and as much as I'd loved to stay and chat, if we are to have breakfast we should go down now".

"Oh right, meet you in the hall in a minute," she found herself agreeing. She had forgotten about their breakfast date. Date... ugh! She cursed herself for even calling it that in her mind. Nevertheless five minutes and an underwear change later (she needed the confidence of a sexy bra) she met him outside her door.

"Geez, did you become trapped under a fallen cupboard and have to fight your weigh through the debris?" Draco mused looking up from his watch pointedly, "I was going to go in there in another minute to rescue you".

"Oh ha ha," she muttered actually smiling despite herself, "actually I was hoping you would take the hint and leave without me".

"No! I don't believe it," Draco mocked swooned and she turned away from fear of giving him satisfaction at seeing her laugh.

"Just shut up and take me to breakfast before we have to go to that stupid meeting," she didn't wait for him to compose himself but headed to the elevator.

He however outpaced her and got to the elevator first.

"We're going down aren't we?" he winked at her pressing the button with too much enthusiasm.

"Alright stop that," Hermione demanded rolling her eyes at the obvious sexual connotation. She was seriously going to lose this game and she knew it. So she had to end it with much dignity as she could.

"Oh bossing me around, I like that, very dominatrix of you," he smirked as the elevator doors opened.

"So would you like it when I stick my heel into your throat?" She retorted.

"That depends doesn't it?"

"Oh?"

"Would you be naked?"

"You are a right creep!" she shrieked standing further away from him. The elevator was huge and as it was only carrying the two of them it seemed even bigger. The cold metal of the golden doors chilled the whole carriage, the green velvet lining and golden trimmings and rails around them did nothing other than look pretty, so Hermione found nothing to distract her from the only other warmth in the elevator… who was currently making her several times warmer than she normally was.

"Oh you love every attention I give you".

"It's unwelcome" She protested wondering if what he said was true. She would only admit that he excited her.

"Right," he said disbelief evident in every syllable, "I'm not even dirty talking so I don't know what you are on about".

"It's embarrassing being discussed in a sexually graphic way thank you very much no matter how 'soft' it is, not all of us are filthy smut mouths like you," she felt herself going red and picturing inappropriate things that involved his 'filthy smut mouth'. She couldn't help it, she had chosen unfortunate descriptions that made her think… but stop it! She scolded herself; they were nearly at the ground floor where she would be able to escape. If only someone would join them in the elevator before it turned hot.

"Oh filthy am i?" he said, unexpectedly offended, "well my pure angel of chastity how would you like to experience something really dirty?"

"Not at all," she exclaimed but feeling excited all the same.

"We'll see," he murmured as the elevator stopped and the doors opened.

Hermione cursed the game that was consuming her very sanity, following Draco to the dining area. The dining area was large and reminded her exactly of the great hall… except the ceiling did not stretch for what seemed like miles and nothing was reflected in place of the roof. Also the space in which the teacher's would have had a table was taken up instead by a long buffet table.

"Oh," she exclaimed over all that food, wondering as she always found herself doing, about the many house elves which would have been forced to slave over it.

"Mmm looks great," Draco supplied.

"So do you," she said trying to get one over him before he got her first.

"What filthy old me?" he quipped.

"Oh especially filthy," she murmured grabbing a plate.

"Bit hypocritical don't you think?" He said catching up to her.

Hermione looked around at all the people milling about the tables, eating and talking no doubt getting to know everyone before the meeting. No doubt they should be doing the same but all she wanted to do was stand near Draco, in the toast section and flirt with him…maybe a bit more if there weren't any people around.

"It would be boorish if I let you have your way," she paused and looked up at him cheekily before adding, "…with me over and over and over again".

Draco's mouth formed a silent 'O' and satisfied Hermione turned back to the buffet table.

"I know what you want," Draco whispered in her ear but before she could answer he went on making it clear she wasn't to interrupt, "you want me to bring you upstairs… or better yet have you right here, no matter whose fucking looking and give them a little show involving you, your wet panties and my filthy mouth-". He stopped when he was sure she was hanging off his every word. Her breathing, he was pleased to note too, was laboured and the plate she was hanging onto had already fallen into the bread basket.

Hermione Granger, he reflected, had no idea she was playing with fire.


	8. On fire

Chapter Eight: on fire

Hermione felt her whole body flush. In all her experiences, even her raunchiest, she had never felt so turned on. What was really strange was that it took Draco to make her feel that way, someone she didn't even like at the best of time. They had a strange relationship... if you could call it that. It was neither personal nor professional…unless you called fantasizing about having him in…

Getting a grip, she told herself she was thankful that he had stopped talking and instead went away to serve himself some breakfast. She was surrounded by people and as they were all from such a competitive field it would have been stupid to compromise her career as well as the people she represented.

"Bonjour belle femme," the voice of her ex-partner Anthony called from behind her.

"Tony!" she squealed, her mood uplifting, making her realise that she had been sad at all. She hastily got rid of her tray and ran to hug him. She needed to see a familiar face, to actually be spoken to like a person again.

"The girls are miserable without you and want to know when you are going to ditch this job and move back to Paris," he said firstly as he guided her to a table, "and frankly my dear I want to know to".

"Tony you know I live and breathe my job, hopefully though Gabbie's requests for me back will be answered soon," she shrugged off trying not to think about how home sick she was and how jealous she was that Anthony had able to keep his position in Paris whilst she was the one sent away.

"It makes me sick how they just push you around," he sighed giving her hand a comforting squeeze from across the table, "But enough of that you must tell me about this Malfoy character that you are working with".

"What's there to tell?" she muttered looking around the room for him unconsciously.

"Oh no," Anthony groaned.

"What?"

"He is a hottie isn't he?" He laughed shrugging as she shot him a scathing look, "hey it's not my fault I can read you like an open book, and anyway since when have you shied away from talking about hot guys with me?"

"Since they became my partner," she supplied, "it's so inappropriate" she added trying to drop the subject.

"Oh my god you had sex with him!" Anthony suddenly whispered furiously, but to Hermione he might as well have shouted it out at the top of his lungs.

"Shh!" she hissed looking around at all the people near her to see if they had noticed, thankfully though they were too wrapped up in their own conversations.

"Paranoid much?" he laughed.

"It's not funny and the answer is no, we haven't had sex," she stressed.

"But you want to, admit it," He conceded with a smirk, "to think my little miss career- no time for more than a romp, would actually meet someone at the workplace of all places, seriously you must have it bad to go against your rules".

"It's not my rules, it's actually written down somewhere," she snapped not liking where the conversation was going. She didn't like thinking about all the workplace rules she was breaking.

"Darling, no one pays attention to those silly rules," Anthony said as he offered her a piece of his toast as an olive branch, noticing how worked up she was getting.

"Thanks," she murmured, "I was supposed to have breakfast with Malfoy but I saw you".

"Is Malfoy a blonde?" Anthony suddenly asked.

Hermione snorted in the middle of spreading jam on her toast, Anthony had once had a really hot blonde boyfriend and she had a sneaking suspicion he had never gotten over him.

"Yes Tony, he is a burly blonde, just what you've always looked for," she rolled her eyes taking a big hungry bite from her toast.

"No it's not that, it's just that it looks like you are still going to have that breakfast with him after all," Anthony said cheerfully looking straight passed her.

Hermione refused to look, hoping against hope that it was him. She wasn't ready, it was too soon after his last sensual assault and on top of all that she had just taken a big bite of toast and had forgotten how to chew.

"Bonjour I'm Anthony but everyone calls me Tony" Tony was saying gaping almost in disbelief at Draco as he sunk into the bench beside Hermione reaching his hand over to shake Tony's hand.

She felt his shoulder rub hers and his thigh brush against hers…on purpose!

"Nice to meet you, I trust you know who I am?" Draco said dropping his hand but not before he threw Tony a winning smile.

"Oh yeah," Tony practically drooled and Hermione had the distinct impression he had no idea what Draco had said or that anyone but he and Draco existed.

"Um so anyway…," Hermione murmured making herself swallow her toast and mentally cursing Tony for getting distracted easily.

"Ah yes… I just need to get some honey," Draco interrupted looking a little freaked out. Leaving his breakfast of a half a bowl of porridge, two nibbled at pieces of toast and a bottle of juice, he spared one meaningful look at Hermione (meaning your friend is weird) before heading away from their table.

"Oh my god Tony!" Hermione exclaimed angrily at him as soon as he was out of earshot and it was at her tone that he seemed to get a grip of himself and wiped the drool of his chin, "Now he not only thinks I'm an uptight rule follower but that I also keep company with a bunch of crazies".

"Nah he should take my staring as a compliment, he knows I'm gay right? Well then he should feel appreciated," Tony shrugged, "And anyway why do you care?"

"Because we are partners!" Hermione said exasperated, starting to- without thinking- finish the rest of Draco's breakfast like it was a natural thing to do.

"Hello you're finishing his breakfast, stop trying to convince yourself it's all professional," Tony accused.

"Ok so I don't think either of us view each other as partners in the conventional sense… I do admit that the personal ah interactions could be considered our predominant relationship we even made it into a sort of game," Hermione admitted begrudgingly whilst pushing his breakfast away, "Although I haven't really worked with him professionally yet, we have only done one case together so how do I know we don't have a chance professionally?"

"Aha keep trying to convince yourself but honey this will not end well, you know as well as I do there is a good reason not to mix professional with personal especially with you, I mean people have ruined their careers for less".

"What do you mean by especially with me?" Hermione demanded suddenly regretting all her admissions about her unbalanced relationship with Draco and the game she was involved in.

"Honey it's not a bad thing it's just that you haven't really had a real relationship so you don't know how to…"

"I don't know about you but it sounds to me like you are trying to tell me that I won't be able to handle myself," Hermione interrupted, her nostrils flaring, "what you think that this thing with Malfoy is real? It's a game, and I know how to separate professional from personal thank you very much I'm not completely clueless, and I am not going to let some blonde poster boy, whose ulterior motive is to make me quit, destroy my damn career that I worked my ass off for, I am playing this game simply to pay him back".

"Hermione!"

"No Tony don't interrupt, I just want to make it clear to you that I feel nothing for that bastard romantic or professional, other than utter contempt and that I will continue with this game until he goes off running to his stupid rich people parties with all his stupid rich bimbos and leave this department to people who know what they are doing," Hermione found she was rambling but couldn't stop herself she just wanted to convince someone she had control of the situation and felt nothing for Draco, "how can I be a partner to someone like him whom I have no respect for?, how could I even think we could work together on something when so far the evidence of our 'professional' relationship has been a joke?, because quite simply Tony, Malfoy is a joke and I intend to expose him as one which will hopefully save him sometime of finding it out years later down the track".

"You don't mean that do you Hermione?" Tony gaped, never before had his friend and ex-partner gotten so worked up about something. It made him sad too because she didn't see what was right in front of her.

"Oh I think she means it Tony," a voice from behind Hermione said.

Hermione wished she could drown herself in the bowl of porridge, but curses it didn't have enough milk to do so sufficiently, hoping against all hope her worst fears of what had just happened weren't true. However as she turned around slowly her worst fears were proved to be actually happening, for Draco Malfoy was standing there, a bottle of honey in one hand telling her that a) he clearly hadn't run away he had just left to get damn honey for his porridge and b) he had just heard her say all those terrible things about him. And by the look on his face he wasn't impressed at all.

Hermione stood up to leave and Draco didn't stop her as she all but ran out of the food hall, glad that unlike back in Hogwarts, everyone didn't gape at her as they were all preoccupied and oblivious to the dramatic scene that was unfolding.

Getting in the elevator she wished silently that it would fall all the way to the bottom as soon as she got up to the top floor. She had never been so embarrassed, mortified and ashamed. She had said such horrible things… some which she knew weren't entirely true. But Hermione also felt angry and unrepentant for it was Draco who had eavesdropped on her private thoughts, all the things she had said weren't meant for his ears… ok so he hadn't really eavesdropped he had just returned to the table. But still as in most people's nature it was easier to resent and blame the person who you had wronged. If only he had not returned… Hermione kept trying to convince herself that it was his fault and after a few floors she allowed herself to be convinced and grew more sullen and moody. So it was by the time she got to her floor she was pissed off and venting.

Just as she was about to slam open her room door and throw stuff around and quite possibly scream into her pillow someone coughed behind her… at the stair well. Three guesses to who it was, she grumbled to herself. And whipping around her guess one was right. Bloody Malfoy was glaring at her, looking exactly as she felt.


	9. The boy aint nice

Chapter Nine: The boy aint nice

Hermione and Draco just stared at each other for a long time, measuring each other up, looking for answers to their own questions. Hermione would be damned if she was going to be the one to break eye contact first, but she would equally be damned if she would allow him to make a spectacle in a somewhat fairly public place, no matter if it was low risk. So making it clear he was to follow her she proceeded to slam open her door and position herself in the centre of the room, putting enough space in between the door way and herself so Draco would take the hint to step inside as well as to keep his distance from her. She, as she could also imagine he was, was not in the mood to be reckoned with.

"Now what the hell do you want?" Hermione asked with enough venom to kill a small elephant as soon as he closed the door. Her head started to throb; he was giving her a headache.

"Oh apparently I want to force you to quit by screwing with you," Draco replied equally deadly.

"Well its true isn't it?"

"Yes," Draco admitted feeling somewhat unusual at that admittance. In truth he had started to forget his original intention and that had only been a day ago…

"I think it's because you are threatened because…" Hermione began but was interrupted by Draco when he drowned her out with his indignant cry.

"Stop!, Granger I have heard enough of what you think to last me a thousand years," he began, "maybe you should think about why I want you to quit hm? From what I have seen in the past day you are incompetent, self-serving, enforcing and an unfeeling ice queen!"

"And you are impossible," she finally found her voice wishing Draco and all his expensive suits and imposing stature out of her life, "I have never met someone more multi-faceted as you, how do you turn on such searing passion at times and yet remain a stand offish fuckwit towards me? It's infuriating," she said with a tone more despair than anger. She felt so lost.

"What you want me to be your friend or something? Granger I'm don't do the whole caring thing because quite frankly I don't care," Draco wanted to make her understand he wasn't going to change for her benefit. He was thankful though that they had stopped yelling…

"No I don't want you to be my friend," she cried with as much disgust as she could making it, he thought very painfully clear, that that idea sickened her. He winced a little inside; really she was just being nasty now.

"But I am stuck with you for partner til I can escape from you somehow and I want us to be atleast civil," Hermione said glaringly, "can you atleast do that Malfoy?"

"Oh but it doesn't change anything". He shrugged making it clear that he wasn't promising anything.

"God I hate you Malfoy," Hermione muttered following him out of her room.

"No you don't and that's where your problem lies," Draco remarked as they got in the elevator. Hermione just rolled her eyes and stabbed the button.

"I'm not a nice person," he kept on.

"I never said you were," she muttered hating being trapped with him. She should have taken the stairs, "And by the way I'm not incompetent" she added finally saying something out loud that was bugging her.

"Ah but you just demonstrated that you care what I think".

"That doesn't mean I think you're nice," the man was impossible. It's like he nearly stopped contradicting her for his own amusement.

"But respect…"

"What is it you want me to admit or say?" she cut in feeling very tired all of a sudden, "I mean did what I say hurt your supposedly non-existent feelings? Do you want me to make it better?" she cut in irritably.

"No I'm fine," he replied with a tone suggesting she was not.

"You know what? i don't really feel up to listening to this shit Malfoy, I thought you agreed to be civil?" she could feel a major headache coming on.

"Only in public, in private i will be whatever I please… or should I say whatever you please?," his reply was said with a smirk and a look of appraisal that had Hermione both blushing and disgusted, so he was still going ahead with this stupid game.

Just as she was about to call him a pig headed moron the elevator stopped and she was forced to put on a happy face as they joined the others.

After a day of mixing with the other teams, Hermione was exhausted. It wasn't enough that everyone kept on pointing them out, she would rather have been the lowliest rookie than have all that attention, but the organisers kept on making them demonstrate skills or whatnot. It was rather irritating, especially as during the sample cases they were given to solve they had to pretend like they had done millions of cases together and had excellent team work, whereas in reality they competed with each other on who would come up with the solution first.

"Malfoy can you just for one second, pretend like we are partners," Hermione had hissed.

"But we aren't," Malfoy had hissed back, "And anyway you're the one who went all competitive on me".

Most of their conversation was like that, however they did keep the happy front up. No one with the exception of possibly Anthony suspected that they had no idea how the other worked.

"I'm so glad its over," Hermione moaned to Tony afterwards.

"What are you talking about? You dazzled everyone".

"It was completely fake, we have no idea about each other seriously it's ridiculous," Hermione informed him, "I think I'm going to have a nice long shower and possibly a sleep before dinner".

"Alright… are you sure you don't want to check out all the guys in the bar here?"

"Tempting but no thanks," Hermione laughed, she had to hand it to Tony he was dedicated.

Stepping into the elevator, Hermione instantly regretted not taking the stairs. The reason was that it was full of women all talking excitedly amongst themselves, no doubt going to change into something more sensational for the dinner that was to be held that night. Now Hermione had lots of girl friends that wasn't the problem, the problem was that she herself knew how bitchy they could get especially towards unknown girls.

As the doors shut, trapping her inside she was rewarded with silence.

"So…," one red headed girl began awkwardly but inviting Hermione to say something, the type of invitation that decided whether or not Hermione was 'in' or not.

Hermione knew she should have said something charmingly back, but she had never really been good at making friends, they usually had to befriend her first… which was why boys were so easy to make friends with you didn't have to try as hard or feel like everything was being judged. Although it didn't help that the girl's right there had their own little group.

"You're Draco's partner aren't you?" the red headed girl went on when it was clear that Hermione wasn't going to say anything.

"Uh yeah that's right," Hermione mumbled.

"He is dreamy isn't he?" a brunette in a pastel pant suit gushed, "I bet he is great to work with".

"Oh I wish my partner had arms like him," a woman with a thick welsh sounding accent said.

"What about the butt?" Another woman threw in and they all cheered.

"He is built like a killing machine," the red head agreed, "You know I think he is number one in the world, he is like a James Bond, you know drop dead gorgeous but a genius at what he does".

"I would kill to be his bond girl!" the brunette wailed, "How do you focus to become the number one agent with someone as delicious working beside you?" she added seriously.

"Uh…," Hermione found herself not knowing how to respond. These girls sounded like a fan club it was making her sick. If only they knew his vices and how difficult he was to work with.

"Never mind dear," a woman with a haughty voice when she trailed off, "I don't think you appreciate him if you know what I mean," she winked.

"No I'm sorry I don't," Hermione said confused.

"Oh," the red head suddenly said and the elevator went quite again.

"Come on love, the boots, the leather pants, the singlet, you obviously bat for the other team," the haughty voiced woman said gently.

Hermione had never felt so indignant in her life, looking around at the sombre girls, all dressed in designer gear or pastels, she could tell they all thought she was a lesbian.

"I think it was those boots that gave it away, I mean of course your pants are really in season… you probably should include some pastels or something so you don't look so macho," the red head advised clearly stifling a smirk.

"There's nothing wrong with being a lesbian," the brunette added quickly as the elevator doors opened at their floor and they all flounced out.

Hermione only scowled at her seemingly polite reassurance as the doors closed, leaving her fuming alone with her sadistic thoughts for the rest of the journey up.

Draco was surprised from his push ups when she walked into his room via the adjoining door; he almost fell on his face. However recovering quickly, he was about to turn on his charm when her saw the scary look on her face. Boy did she look pissed, he mused before saying as much as she ripped open his mini bar.

"Can I have your gummi bears?" she just replied, "I've already eaten all of mine".

"Uh sure… I didn't even know we had gummi bears," he shrugged.

"Oh and I'm taking some of your alcohol," she informed him matter of factly, taking her hoard into her room before he could protest.

Shock left him immobile for a few minutes before he reacted. But the second he did, he practically flew into through the door.

"What on earth has gotten into you?," he cried heading to her bedroom where he found her lying on her stomach, boots kicked off, gummi bears, bowls of ice cream and alcohol all around her.

He observed that the bowls were nearly all empty as where the alcohol bottles.

"Did I upset you that much?" he asked rather surprised. He had no idea she was so sensitive.

"Oh now you think the whole world revolves around you don't you? You aren't James Bond" she snapped back with a glare.

"O-K, Granger you're starting to freak me out".

"We can't have that now can we?" she said sarcastically.

"I know that we had a bit of a fight this morning and we aren't really friends but I think we know each other enough for you to just tell me what is wrong" Draco said frustrated.

"How about I have some tequila and ignore you," Hermione replied knocking the bowls and some bottles of the bed as she fumbled for a full bottle. When she located one she raised the bottle up to Draco before putting it to her mouth.

"Oh no you don't!" Draco roared ripping the bottle out of her hands only to spill it all over himself and knock Hermione off the bed.

"What are you doing numbskull?" She hissed from the floor looking dishellevd, but Draco had to admit very sexy.

"Oh well you can't be that good looking and smart," she mumbled in that drunken way that that meant she didn't know Draco could hear her.

"I guess the only thing I can do now is to slip on something sexy and dazzle those bitches," she said louder with a hiccup, making Draco wonder how much she had had to drink, however he quickly concluded that it was a rather large number because she started to rip off her top and pants.

"Ah Granger what are you doing?" he was surprised at how hot it suddenly got in the room and how he couldn't take his eyes from her…some gentleman he was.

"Getting dressed for this stupid dinner, what do you have a problem with that oh mighty lord of all, or do you want me to ask you permission?" She cried as she ripped open her cupboard and pulled out a stunning green dress that screamed elegance as well as sexy.

Draco couldn't help drooling or staring after that; he could wait to see it on her.

"I bet you prefer this to my leather pants and singlets" she muttered distastefully reminding him that she was not in a happy state of mind.

"What is it Granger?" he sighed sitting down on her bed, knowing something was bothering her.

"What like you care? You aren't a nice guy Malfoy stop pretending to be"

It was the first time Draco felt stung by one of her put downs, he remembered well insisting he was not a good guy to her earlier… but he wanted her for some stupid reason to just give him a chance.

"Don't give me that look, you said it yourself and really its true isn't it, I mean you were a death eater," she babbled in her drunken state, "Oh and you double crossed your own father… I mean it was good for us but… I don't know nice guys don't screw every girl they meet either or pick fights".

Draco just stared at her as she struggled to take the dress off the hanger. She looked so tempting in her underwear and messy waves of hair…. Too bad she stung like a wasp. Well he knew she was a little drunk, but even when she was sober her fiery temper and bold honesty had him glowering.

"Whatever Granger you're not too perfect yourself".

"Oh what is my problem? Is it because I wear pants, boots and a singlet for my job? I mean it's a job, not like a bloody fashion parade I need practicality," she cried.

Bingo, Draco had found the problem.

"Those bitches have some nerve calling me a lesbian just because I didn't sing you're goddam praises or agree with them that you had nice arms or whatever… Not that it's wrong to be a lesbian it's just that I'm not," she insisted throwing her dress on the floor in annoyance, "I mean I could have sex with you if I wanted…"

"Oh so it had nothing to do with me?" Draco asked half amused half annoyed.

"What are you saying you wouldn't have sex with me? oh my god even you wouldn't have sex with me," she cried falling onto her bottom with a soft thud. Draco could have laughed she was so cute when she was drunk.

"And I remember against the car, it was you who stopped it… Geez…. I need more gummi bears," she hiccuped looking miserable.

Draco dutifully handed her the bag.

"Granger I would have… I mean you would be good to have sex with," his face flamed he could believe how stupid he sounded. He was turning into a sissy, luckily though she wouldn't remember it.

Suddenly her face went white.

"What is it? Did you choke on a gummi bear or something?" he asked alarmed.

"No I think I'm going to throw up," she cried running to the bathroom.

And that is how Draco spent the rest of the evening, holding Hermione's hair and taking a pack of gummi bears for dinner after putting her to bed.


	10. Wanting

Chapter Ten: Wanting

"Are you up Granger?" Draco called from his side of the adjoined door.

The day was to be spent at a big picnic outing as a sort of a retreat for all the teams and Draco didn't want her to miss the departure time.

"Of course I'm up," came her snappy reply and it made Draco smile for some odd reason, "why the hell wouldn't I be up?"

"Because I spent all night making passionate love to you and you passed out exhausted," he joked, loving how she popped her head out of the bathroom to throw her brush at him, "I wasn't that drunk," she protested.

"Uh-huh, now I don't want to rude but hurry the hell up woman before I come in there and get you".

For some odd reason after last night some tension seemed to have disappeared and the banter between them was more in good fun rather than in malice. There was something about vomiting your guts out while having someone hold back your hair that created a bond.

"Alright I'm done," she announced stepping out of the bathroom a bit nervously.

Hermione was wearing a long sleeved white over sized collared shirt and not much else, with a black belt just under her breasts. Sure it came up to just above her knees but after seeing her mostly in leather pants he was very surprised. Oh sure he had seen her in her underwear the night before… but she still surprised him and he felt that familiar stir of desire. Her boots didn't help either.

"Are you just going out in that?" he didn't like how his tone sounded so possessive.

"What don't you like it?" she sounded oddly hurt, little did he know she actually had needed his approval. She hated herself for it.

"Yes of course I do, it's just a little you know short".

"Oh I'm wearing tights underneath," she laughed relieved that's what his problem was. With a smile she pulled down her tights to her knees matter-of-factly and to Draco's own relief left them at that length.

"Ok then… let's go," he said gruffly not sure if he could control himself from kissing her, her laugh making him stare hypnotised at her mouth.

"Yes let's go to this stupid picnic," she sighed a little as they left her room.

Draco didn't ask her about the sigh; quite sure it was over the same disappointment he was feeling.

They were halfway to the bottom when the elevator stopped and the doors opened… to the same group of girls that Hermione had been stuck with the previous night.

She felt them throw a curious look at her and her bold outfit, before of course focusing all their attention on the man next to her, a cool looking Draco Malfoy. And so it was for the rest of the elevator ride, Hermione entertained thoughts of the elevator's cable breaking... It wasn't Draco's fault however, these minx's were so transparent and clearly had desperate stamped all over them. What self respecting girl would think that someone as self respecting as Draco would go for a girl who competed for his attention like a little kid? The whole time they were either sticking out their boobs, sighing, giggling, talking about themselves, playing with his hair, hitting him playfully, treating his sullen responses like they were personal with a deeper meaning… it really did make her frustrated. She knew they were all attracted to his bad boy image but if they ever got their claws onto him they would of course expect him to change for them. It was an unrealistic ideal that Hermione blamed the consumer world for. You couldn't 'better' someone; you just had to make your values very clear from the beginning and compromise.

Thankfully as the doors opened and they all got out, girls all walked away to join an even bigger group of girls.

"Oh Merlin, I thought I was going to die of boredom," Draco moaned, "I wish you girls didn't talk so much".

"Hey not all girls are like that, I'm certainly not," Hermione replied indignant.

"Pft as if you aren't… ok so you're not as bad as that lot," he conceded, "but I bet you're loud in bed" he added with a smirk.

"Oh really Malfoy, that was a bit unnecessary," she felt her cheeks colour, however she knew she should have expected that from him, "All I have to say is, pity you will never know," she added slyly.

"But I will," he smiled tucking her arm under his and heading outside, "and you will scream for me".

Hermione felt that familiar buzz of excitement; he always managed to turn her on even when they were doing the most innocent of things, he just had a dirty mouth…

The picnic was long and tiresome owing to too much food and wine. After a few hours of eating and relaxing, also most of the men had started a game of rough soccer, which had almost no rules, too many players and lots of mud. The women were encouraged to of course undertake what the summit was really about, forming excellent international bonds.

However Hermione found herself floundering in her part of the idle shop talk and chit chat, she was distracted by a certain blonde figure tackling and laughing with the other men- including her hero Anthony.

"Uh yeah, I think I have a head ache," she finally said after an hour of constant questions and repetitive conversation. After quickly excusing herself she started her way back to the hotel, thanking Merlin that it was getting dark so the girls couldn't say she was rude, most people were starting to pack up anyway.

Getting into the elevator first she was glad it was empty and she didn't have to share it with anybody, she was sick of people… with the exception of one particular person.

For the rest of the ride she allowed herself to indulge in thinking some sinful thoughts indeed about him. So sinful that she was positively on fire. Every part of her ached and she resolved to have a long shower until they went away… although she would have rather Draco aid her.

She sighed heavily as the elevator stopped at her floor and closed behind her. She would just have to imagine… his body pressed against hers, his mouth hot and wet on her neck... As she entered her apartment she sighed again not liking how the emptiness of it brought her back to reality. Maybe if she just watched a movie with Draco that would be satisfaction enough, to just be in his company.

With that questioning thought she waited on her bed, pulling off her boots and tights, until she heard his door. Quelling the butterflies in her stomach she went through the adjoining door.

Draco was feeling happy after playing soccer with the boys. He hadn't played in years and he had surprisingly made a lot of friends in that match. It was odd how sport did that to people, it let down the barriers without demanding too much. The girls had to try it next time, rather than the intimidating prospect of answering a lot of intense questions… He saw Hermione had looked fairly uncomfortable. She kept looking out at the match, he sometimes imagined right at him…

Just as he started picturing her in his mind, looking out at the match at him, biting into a juicy peach, the juices dribbling down her chin and her neck and lower…the devil herself suddenly she walked in.

"Uh hello Granger," Draco greeted her from the couch.

"Yes…" Hermione murmured suddenly going red, "hello".

"Did you have fun at the picnic?" he had no idea why he was being so polite and formal, when all he wanted to do was pull her onto him.

"Sure," she murmured again going redder.

"What is it?" he asked curious at her blushing.

"You don't have a shirt on," she explained hardly meeting his eyes, "and you look all sweaty and muddy".

"Ah," he said, he had forgotten he had taken his shirt of at the end of the match and of course he was muddy, he had been tackled into the mud quite a few times.

"Oh wait I get it," he began with a smirk and stood up over her, "You like this don't you?" he asked her but she shrank back clearly alarmed. But he wasn't about to let her get away especially when he caught that glimpse of wanting in her eyes.

Suddenly he gripped her waist and pulled her towards him, towards the couch where he sat down but kept her standing in front of him so he looked up into her face.

Hermione looked down at him determinedly which made him laugh. She wasn't going to make anything easier for him. He circled his fingers slowly around her hips and felt her shudder.

"Now imagine I'm doing that to your bare skin…wouldn't that be much better?" he laughed again as she tried to pull away.

"Where are you going Granger? I'm right here in front of you, half naked, sweaty and hard, just how you like it".

"I just came in to ask if you wanted to watch a movie," her voice sounded breathless and her protest weak even to her.

"Oh really now, well if that's the case," he played along amused at her weak charade, dropping his hands from her waist and wondering how long it would take for her to react.

However she didn't react, she just sat crossed legged on the couch next to him. Which was when he realised she hadn't worn underwear.

She took no notice of him, sitting with her hands combing lazily through her hair, projecting an image of innocence and it was nearly Draco's undoing.

"My little innocent Granger, no such impure thoughts in her mind," Draco leaned closer so he could whisper in her ear, "No I don't think she has ever thought about what would happen if she uncrossed those beautiful legs…or I don't think she has imagined me lifting her legs up and-"

He was interrupted by her groan, "I knew you'd be loud for me," he whispered again making her shiver before running his hand up her knee.

But Hermione wasn't going to let him win that easily, "And I knew you couldn't keep your hands off me," she goaded him, "All I have to do is look at you".

Draco's hand froze and he smiled dangerously all of a sudden, "Oh I smell a challenge," he replied, "and I shall win".

Hermione just smirked. Arching her back slightly, her jersey barely covered the top of her thighs, and her hard nipples clearly evident as the material stretched tight. Letting out a slight sigh she glanced hotly at Draco, letting her hands wander down her body.

"Dammit," was all he said before he got up, fiercely uncrossed her legs and pulled her body up to his.

"Oh," was all she said as she could feel his hardness press against her.

"Mmm", he murmured kissing her neck, "you are so beautiful".

To his frustration however, she had refused again to make it easy for him, acting like dead weight, her legs not wrapped around him, but somewhat unsatisfactorily dangling in front of him, he treated her like the rag doll she was playing and threw her over his shoulder. To his satisfaction he heard a surprised 'opf' and was also rewarded with her jersey riding up her back, giving him an excellent view of her naked bottom. She pounded indignantly at his back as he marched into the bedroom, rubbing her bottom all the way.

"Now don't make me smack you," he laughed as he threw her on the bed. She instantly paid him, making him groan, as she raised her bottom cheekily up to him before squealing away from his hand.

He hadn't had this much fun in bed with someone for a very long time. He had forgotten what it was like to be made to work for it.

"Are you going to just stand there or come over here?" Hermione growled impatiently. She felt like she was going to explode if he didn't get a move on. With a sly smirk he just stood there watching her and she knew then, he was paying her back for teasing on the couch.

"Two can play that game," she said saucily making to crawl her way towards him looking up at him cheekily. However his unblinking stare got to her and she dropped eye contact, freezing where she was, only inches away from his warm body. Something in his eyes made her unsure of herself, his stare was so intense and hot, what if he didn't find her any good? After all he had a lot of experience to go by… what had she been thinking?

However all of her worries were erased moments later, as he suddenly groaned and rushed forward the last remaining inches to meet her with a deep kiss that had her groaning in return. As he pushed her onto her back and lowered himself on her she was met with another prime example of what she did to him.

"How nice of you to join me," she smiled against his cheek as started to kiss her neck.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," He grunted not stopping.

"Oh I wasn't talking to you Malfoy," she giggled cheekily rubbing the front of his pants to indicate she had been talking about that part of him.

"That's it you asked for it," He said pulling back to look at her face and push her arms up over her head.

"Mr Malfoy are you threatening me with good sex?" She forced herself to keep a straight face.

"Oh I love it when you mock me Granger," he murmured, "but yes I am threatening you with good sex," he added.

"Well okay then," she hardly knew what she was saying; she was so entranced by every thing he was doing.

And everything was about to get a whole lot hotter.


	11. Bedroom floor

Chapter Eleven: Bedroom floor

"Granger keep your arms where they are and try to stay still," Draco ordered, he could feel her heat beat quicken underneath him and kissed the pulse on her neck sensually.

Hermione seemed to freeze a little at this affectionate act; up til now it had been all fire and desire. But soon the feelings past and he ripped off her shirt like it offended him and was rewarded with bare skin. It seemed se had taken off her bra too.

"Malfoy?" she murmured shivering a little.

"Yes Granger?" his voice was hoarse.

"Take off your pants," she demanded.

"My even in this compromising position you still manage to be bossy," he laughed, "Let me first indulge myself with you," he added huskily.

She fascinated him. Not just her body but everything. But right now she was his and he was going to take advantage of that. Rolling off her so he was on his side next to her, he brought his hands up to her face and slowly ran them down her body. At first she stirred a little, determined not to let him know how much he was affecting her but when he stroked every inch of her and then started to move his tongue down her body she shuddered and her breathing deepened. Her eyes closed with a sigh as his mouth sucked at her skin, teasing her nipples and driving her crazy. When he blew on her wet skin she let out an involuntary moan and at the same time his fingers entered her.

Her eyes flew open and met his as he looked up from licking and kissing her stomach. He recognised the plea in her eyes and pressed more fingers in, watching her struggle to keep still, and her hands were white from holding her arms back.

Through clenched teeth she breathed harshly, his pace quickened and he couldn't look away from her even when she was forced to break eye contact as she scrunched up her eyes, in frustrated pleasure. She felt overwhelmed as he used more pressure and resumed his attention on her nipples.

Moments and a drained Hermione later, Draco kissed her on the cheek and watched over her as she recovered. He paid most attention, entranced by the rise and falls of her breasts, only just managing to resist the need to run his hands all over her again.

So it was at her breasts that Hermione opened her eyes, to find Draco's looking at. Smiling to herself she took his distraction to study him. His skin, from his face downwards was marred with streaks of dirt here and there but Hermione did indeed find that sexy. It was very fireman like…Suddenly she found she was completely aroused and recovered and quite impatient. The muscles under that dirt could have been something to do with it.

"Can I move now?" she joked.

"Mmm," was all he murmured in reply. But just as she was going to take matters into her own hand and jump on him, he pulled her on her side towards him, so that he pressed his whole length against her and their lips were almost touching, except for a tiny space.

Hermione loved the feeling of being so close to him, every part of their bodies touching apart from their faces.

"You feel good," was all her brain was able to express making him laugh. Hermione felt the vibrations from his chest to hers which tickled her, making her laugh in turn.

Suddenly they were both laughing hysterically, one of those laughing fits that no one can really explain and the next minute they had rolled off the bed and right onto the floor… Draco falling on Hermione with a heavy thud.

"Damn," she wheezed and he kept apologizing making to get off her. But she had taken this opportunity to wrap her legs above his waist and secure him on top of her.

"It's about time we get into this".

He just stared at her, aroused and surprised. In wrapping her legs tightly around him and not letting him get up, she had forced him to put his knees on either side of her hips so as to lessen the weight on top of her… virtually making him enter her… if it wasn't for his pants.

"I need to take off my pants," Draco managed to splutter as she started to rock her hips and run her hands down his bare torso. He could have died and gone to heaven or hell she was driving him crazy.

"Good, it seems unfair that I'm just naked," she agreed at let him go with a slight moan of loss as he moved off her.

After he had hurriedly stripped off his pants and briefs he hesitated on joining Hermione on the floor again.

"Shouldn't we have sex on the bed? I mean don't you ladies prefer that?"

Hermione just sighed and got up.

"Do I look like a lady to you who appreciates having a soft pillow behind her while fucking her brains out?"

Draco couldn't help it he dropped to his knees in surprise.

Hermione just laughed and joined him, bringing him to attention with her hands.

"Accio condom," Draco suddenly said and his whole bag came flying across the room, the two of them just ducking in time as it was flung into the wall.

"My hero," Hermione joked.

"Merlin, it's getting dark," Draco commented suddenly noticing how he could hardly see her in the moonlit room. He hadn't noticed before, being to preoccupied with making her moan in pleasure.

"Good point, I want to see all of you," she said closing her eyes, "Candles sound perfect".

Instantly some candles seemingly appeared out of no where and lit themselves. Hermione smiled happy that her spell worked from just using her mind, she wasn't sure it would work seeing as all she could think about was Draco, his muscles more defined in the shadows of the night and the flickering candle light. He looked up from rolling on the condom with such heat and mischief in his eyes that she found she had enough wetness to screw him for days.

To think she had hated him in high school… of course he had been a weed and entirely mean. It was hard to connect that with the man before her with the hateful little bastard of her schooling years. His arms alone would probably crush the young Malfoy. And his thighs… god he had been taking care of himself.

"Like what you see?"

"Let's just see if it does the job," she replied cheekily, adrenaline drowning out all her nerves. She didn't want to think about letting him see her naked and touch her most intimate parts… she just wanted him.

"On the floor?" he asked as she pulled herself on top of him, her thigh touching the top of his erection.

"Yes," she almost shouted, feeling impatient, knowing he was also teasing her.

"Are you sure?" he asked smirking, with the only signs that he was utilising major self control the strain in his voice and clench of his jaw.

"Yes, yes, yes!" she gasped trying to push herself on top of him so he entered her, however he had predicted this and flipped her on her back so he had the upper hand.

"So you want me to fuck your brains out?" he asked in a whisper close to ear.

Hermione had never thought she would be turned on by someone who talked dirty… but then again she had never been with someone like Draco before, who constantly brought out the wicked in her.

"Tonight preferably," she managed to gasp. She couldn't even wrap her legs around his waist; he was holding her legs flat against the floor, she struggled to get what she wanted.

It was for a few teasing minutes though that he kept her pinned underneath him, forcing a growing awareness of each other's body and the position they were in. Hermione felt his heart beat as quickly as hers and she couldn't help but groan when he made no attempt to move. She could feel the muscles in his legs tense up and just the weight of him taunted her, for it reminded her of the pressure she much desired elsewhere. As she twisted and turned, she felt the muscles in his thighs twitch a little and when he tightened his grip and he groaned, Hermione realised just how much this was arousing him. His need to dominate her surprisingly turned her on too, as well of course making her more resistant so as not to give him the satisfaction.

"The more you thrash about, the more I will make you wait".

Hermione was about to call him on that, his thighs were so tense one more touch would have him begging for her, but she had thought of the perfect trick to over turn the tables on him. So pretending to be submissive, she tried to relax her fired up body and it seemed to work because his grip lessened. When he just laughed and let her legs go, she took advantage of this and as quick as lightning, Draco found her legs instantly wrapped around his waist. And so it was his turn to moan as she parted her thighs further and forced him to enter with a rock of her hips.

"You are good," he muttered increasing the pressure which she was ready to take, "or else very bad…"

Hermione just laughed and moved her hands so they were behind her, her arms raising her weight slightly off the ground. This position allowed her to arch her back as he gave her what she wanted, her legs pushed further up his waist. His hands lifted her buttocks further up as the pace quickened both of them tense and in need of relief.

As he plunged deeper into her, their breaths become deep and ragged, he picked her up and laid her onto the edge of the bed so he had more force behind him. At that she nearly screamed. Rushes of heat and relief exploded between them and although they hadn't fully recovered and Draco just managed to pull on another condom as she grabbed at him, they pulled each other closer and began the pace again. Hermione wrapped her legs higher and squeezed her inner thighs at the most advantageous moments, Draco's gasps and gruff promises to do things to her that made her blush.

"Malfoy!" she heard herself call out in a loud raggedly voice as he started to slow down the pace. She felt like she was drowning. But all of a sudden he gripped her buttocks tighter and slammed himself into her, and it was with only two of those deathly strokes that had them collapsing onto the floor, sweaty, satisfied and glowing, their heart rates and bodies along way from settling down.

Kissing her deeply on the mouth, Draco just had enough energy to pick her up and fall into bed with her. Exhausted by such a long day and an intense night, he waved away Hermione's insistence to sleep in her own bed and pulled her close. Only moments later she fell asleep and Draco smiled knowingly. He had known she hadn't really wanted to go back into her lonely bed, but in her stubborn way she had wanted him to think her indifferent, it was just who she was. Pity for her, Draco could see right through her little act, and it was also a pity for her again, that Draco would never admit he was also playing a little act of his own.


	12. Complications

Chapter Twelve: Complications

"Damn," Hermione cursed as she woke up to find herself wrapped in Draco's arms.

"Mmm?" Draco murmured in his sleep not loosening his grip at all.

Hermione froze as she was suddenly struck by the bitter thought that it was probably not unusual for Draco to wake up with a woman in his arms. The thought of sharing the same moments with many other women…

"Oh fuck," she swore again realising she was sounding like a girlfriend and not the one night stand, that she was.

It sure was comfortable being in his arms though… oh what was she thinking? However she definitely did not regret having sex with him. It wasn't like she was really breaking any rules; they didn't consider each other as partners… and she had never felt as good as she did after having sex with him. It was like a refreshing shower to someone who had been stuck in an attic all their life…Or something like that.

Maybe they could establish a professional relationship and continue to have casual sex? That thought cheered her up, she didn't think it would be that hard to work with him and anyway, she reasoned, it's not every guy that gave her an orgasm as well as challenged her, and she was willing to work at it for that. That's of course if he stopped acting like a shit. Damn reality! It always complicated things and got in the way of her fantasies.

"Good morning Granger," Draco said after a while and Hermione had the distinct impression he had been awake for quite some time.

"Ah good morning," she mumbled in reply, glad she was facing away from him, her face was turning beet red.

"May I ask what has you so tense this morning?" He asked rubbing her shoulders heatedly, which she just realised she had been clenching unconsciously. His touch was enough to make her melt. However, just as he was moving his hands around her shoulders and down to her breasts, his breath hot on her neck, Hermione suddenly flew out of the bed.

"What on earth?" He moaned, feeling the loss of her warm naked body keenly.

"Uh… I just don't think we should start something this morning," she explained, "we have stuff to do".

Draco didn't say a word, just looked her up and down in appreciation. Which was when she realised she was naked. But as she went to pull a sheet from the bed to cover her, Draco the stupid prat just laughed and grabbed onto the opposite end. He didn't seem to mind that he was completely exposed to her, she noted disconcertingly, wondering at her new found shyness. After all last night she hadn't given a damn. But now it was morning and the reality of what they did and the consequences of it dawned on her. Everything had changed. She was now probably viewed as his play thing. How could she even think that they could work together? She'd be too busy being all self-conscious and dying of embarrassment.

Although she pulled at the sheet with all her might and will, furious at Draco, she couldn't help but notice Draco's tall erection as he barely built up a sweat. It was like child's play to him and that annoyed her.

"Malfoy, give me the damn sheet you prat!" she cursed at him, going red from embarrassment as well as the effort to keep part of the sheet she had managed to grab onto.

Draco just laughed. He realised Hermione had of course started to get all anxious about what they had done and begun the tiresome indifferent act again. As he had lain in bed with her that morning, her body tense, he knew she was up dwelling on it even before she had spoken and he also knew she was panicking. Looking up at her now from his lazy sprawl and hold on the sheet, his body readily responded to her. She probably had no idea how sexy she was-he could not take his eyes off her. Her nipples were hard and inviting, with her round breasts slightly bouncing as she tugged at the sheet, her struggle giving him the occasional peek at her tempting bottom. Her hair was even more of a chaos now after their tussle last night and he ached to push her onto the bed and fan those curls around her face like she was some sort of angel… a really naughty angel.

"Stop it!" she suddenly roared and he was snapped back to reality. Hermione was sprawled at the end of the bed as it seemed she had lost the tug-o-war.

"Stop what?" Draco asked innocently.

Hermione fumed, she hated being made a fool of- especially naked! He had managed to make her land flat on her face and boobs (which was painful!) and he had the nerve to pretend like he hadn't noticed. The nerve! Even with his tall erection and painfully gorgeous body… she was still mad at him!

Trying to be subtle about rubbing her sore boobs she stood up and tried to muster up some confidence, although it was hard when you were naked and the person you were trying to yell at was looking at you like he wanted to jump you any minute.

"Stop this shit, clearly I'm embarrassed and regretful and you aren't making it any easier!"

Shit, did those words really come out of her mouth? She wondered her mind screaming at her, the last she wanted was to push their relationship back to where they had started and she knew that 'regretful' was one of the most unforgiving words. And oh Merlin Draco looked pissed….

"You cannot possibly tell me you regret last night," his tone was tight, "I know you are unsure of where we stand right now but never say you regret it ever again".

"Hey don't tell me what I can't do," even to her she sounded immature.

Within one swift movement, Draco had pulled Hermione into an undignified slump on top of him, their faces just inches away. Hermione couldn't help it she shuddered. There was something so demanding about him and although it went against all she believed in, she found herself slowly surrendering. Some powerful, independent woman she turned out to be!

Feeling that shudder, Draco looked into her lust filled eyes with relief. The last thing he wanted was for her to be scared of him. His manly pride or whatever the stupid influence was that was making him behave so primal was actually turning her on…

"Say it," he demanded liking how her thighs squeezed together involuntarily.

"You can't make me," she squeaked, not sure why she was refusing him this one thing that would make both their minds easier. She had pride too… maybe she just didn't want him to win. All she could think about was his shoulders, his firm thighs, his legs still sprawled open, his erection digging into her hip, the severe set of his jaw and the lustful but serious eyes.

After agonising minutes, Draco suddenly crashed his mouth into hers, so hard and demanding Hermione felt a rush of pain. However as she was kissing him back twice as hard and demanding, she couldn't say she didn't enjoy it, especially as her head was swimming with want.

However just as soon as he had deepened the kiss, he pulled out just as quickly making her gasp and fall into his chest. His heart was loud in her ears and his breathing was ragged. Looking down at her for a moment, her heart skipped a beat as he looked like he was about to kiss her again, however that thought was shattered almost immediately as he pushed her off him and stomped to his wardrobe. Ok, what had just happened? Hermione wondered laying face up in the tangle of sheets, waiting for her breathing to return to normal.

Draco was furiously throwing one of his designer pants and shirts onto the bed and digging around his draw for underwear and socks. Hermione made him so mad, so hot and cold, he just had to get out of there. She had refused to admit that she hadn't regretted having sex with him and yet she had kissed him willingly and heatedly not even moments ago. The woman was the devil. Looking at her, laying deliciously on her back, her legs tangled in a sheet, her chest rising and falling rapidly, he couldn't blame himself for feeling the way he did. She just couldn't let him have the last say, and so consequently she had taken away what would have been a pleasant experience and turned it into part of her game. He was sick of it. Yes, he had enjoyed toying with her but then they had slept together… he thought they'd atleast stop with the competing at who was the most indifferent and maybe just go from there.

Throwing on his clothes and shoes, he threw one more look at Hermione's naked form and left cursing loudly. It served him right for being such a womaniser for all those years. He had remembered too well the mean bullshit he had shovelled at women whom he slept with or (cringe) dated. And Hermione was starting to show all the signs of dismissing him; she was putting up that bloody indifferent wall again.

But there was something about her…something that wouldn't allow them to become indifferent professionals ruled by reason and not emotion. He had thought that after they had had sex, the tension would ease away, but if anything it had built up stronger then ever, even before she had opened her mouth that morning. He hated how she had gone all cold on him…only yet to fire up as they had kissed. It confused him. He had thought he could pretend to be all indifferent and not care, but… he did. He cared very much. That's it, his brained screamed, it was time to flirt with the other girls and forget about Hermione. She was way more trouble than she was worth.

Hey, Draco shrugged to his conscience, I'm not a nice guy and she needs to know that… Oh, his conscience was saying, it's not because you want her to hurt as much as you do? Draco frowned and ignored this unwanted truth.

-----

Hermione's shower was long and lonely. She was miserable. Why did she have to deny him as well as herself? But to admit she had loved sleeping with him, she had thought would've revealed her true feelings for him… She felt so weak even admitting it to herself. But she wanted him. Screw working together, that would always come second. She just needed to know how he felt before making an idiot of herself… so far all she had gotten was that he wanted her to praise him for sex or something.

Getting dressed in her long sleeved, dark green shirt, the v-neck fairly low (it's what Tony would call a 'boob' top), she pulled on leather pants and boots and clipped her chaos curls back at the nape of neck. When she saw him again, she wanted to look good so she had the confidence to… what was she going to do if when she saw him? Hermione sighed as she looked her room, why did work suddenly get so problematic. What had once been her favourite thing in the world was proving to give her only high blood pressure.

-----

Draco had soon honed in on a few hotties (the same from the elevator) and by lunch time, they were giggling and sharing boastful stories about how good they were at their jobs… Geez it was seriously like hanging out with hot nerds… with claws. Seriously the amount of times they each made a snide remark about each other, none discreet at all, was ridiculous.

So much so, Draco was just about to leave until he saw, in the corner of his eyes, Hermione enter the dining room and look over at him. Just at that moment, as if on cue, the red head held his face with his hands, stroking his cheeks with her acrylic nails, commenting on his bone structure or something. It was at that moment; Draco chose to look up at Hermione and smile, catching her stunned gaze.

Instantly he felt like a prick, but he didn't care. Just as she fled from the room, he turned his attention back to the hotties. Now she knew what rejection felt like.

Anthony watched the scene from his table in the far corner. The table was full of around ten men all of them gay, excluding Rod, who looked as though he had a permanent smile, etched on his face, even though his eyes were wide with naïve astonishment at the conversation that he was hearing from around the table.

Tony called for attention by tapping out jingle bells with his knife on Rod's empty milk shake glass. As soon as everyone was looking at him, he explained the circumstances, all of which he either knew or guessed about Hermione and Draco and encouraged the table to think of a plan. For there was no way he was going to stand by and let his trusty ex-partner get hurt or let the golden god do something he might regret… such as hurt Hermione and consequently end up naked in the middle of a desert with nothing but a lady's pantyhose to entertain him.

Top on the agenda: get rid of whore cling-ons.

Draco was surprised when Anthony and a crowd of his friends joined him and the girls… maybe he had been wrong about Anthony… maybe he was bisexual. Watching as him and his friends slowly but surely persuaded all of the girls to join them at their table, he was stunned. Looking at each one of his friend's profile, they were all extremely attractive, having used that card to persuade the girls, who only managed to splutter out a hasty goodbye to Draco. Reading their body language closely, he had the sneakiest suspicion that they were all gay. Except for possibly the tallest gangly one with the permanent grin that seemed infectious. Looking at it now, Draco felt his mouth curve into a smile… or maybe it was because he knew what Anthony was up to.

Maybe he knew as well as Draco did, that Draco had to act quickly before loosing Hermione to some loser who didn't treat her like the breathtaking witch she was.


	13. A serious predicament

Chapter Thirteen: A serious predicament

Hermione had taken one look at Draco and those tramps before she had ran out. Actually he had also taken one look at her from the middle of those tramps before she ran out. He had actually smiled too! The prat! To think she had come down hopeful…

What was more annoying was the fact she felt so betrayed and used. Oh sure she had sex many times before, she was certainly not a virgin. But to do something like Draco had the morning after having sex with someone? It was a horrible feeling.

She may have hurt him sure… But she had no doubt that she was hurting a hundred times worse. That afternoon there was to be a lecture by none other than the aging Mad Eye Moody, still as paranoid, if more, as he was before the war had finished. However he was a legend and normally she wouldn't have missed it for anything… but she just felt wretched. Even the fact that Kingsley Shacklebolt was holding a lecture after Moody and that there was sure to be a reunion; having worked closely with both of the two legendary aurors during the war… she was in no mood.

Maybe a long walk in the wilderness would help her. Thinking back to the table in the middle of the field before the hotel, she went over the layout of the land in her mind, heading upstairs to her room so as to pack a few things and look over her balcony to memorise the landscape. After slipping her wand, a map and two apples into her bag, as well as a bottle of water and a baggy jumper that had been her dad's, she peered over the balcony a few times. Satisfied she knew the land and glad it was still early afternoon she set off on her anger fuelled walk, making sure to head in the opposite direction of where the table was.

It was several hours and both apples later, before she calmed down. She found she was even smiling again, her cheeks felt flushed with colour and she just felt fresh. There was something to be said about the Scottish wilderness. It found its way into the bones. Actually, Hermione suddenly realised, all that walking and fresh air had also made her sleepy. She had walked quite a distance… she had only been vaguely aware of the passing landscape- although it had all looked the same, her training taught her she had atleast past several villages, although she had been too far away to see them. The clues had been the different smells and occasionally obscure markings on a few trees, marking out territory.

Sighing, suddenly weary (she had been fantasizing about Draco –or trying not to- the whole walk) she looked around for a place to sit. Crying out in delight, she spotted the perfect tree- actually it was more like she was drawn to it, it's arrangement of roots looked like it had been made for her to sit on as she leaned her back against the trunk. Glad she had brought her dad's old jumper she pulled it over her and leaned further into the tree, getting comfortable. Without even realising what she was doing she closed her eyes against the cool evening air, ignoring the fact that she was off the beaten track and no one knew she was out… she was tired. Tired of wanting, tired of waiting, tired of caring… she fell asleep.

Draco had looked everywhere for Hermione. At first he had reluctantly entered her room… to find it empty. Not put off, as he realised that she probably knew he'd check there first he casually checked every place he'd thought she'd be. When she didn't turn up anywhere, he went from casual to frantic. Really he could barely keep his cool, which was a first for him. However all his training made him compose himself, she probably was hiding from him, he reminded himself, after all he had been an ass.

Asking around a few people he had seen her talk to, he suddenly remembered that Mad Eye and Shacklebolt were holding lectures later that afternoon, so he resolved to check if she was with them catching up. However realising that might be intruding he settled on waiting until after the lectures.

Getting a good seat at the back, before most people rushed in, he allowed himself to while a way the time imagining what they would say to each other, before having fantastic make up sex. He hoped they really would make up, not just for the make up sex, but because he was (horrified to find) missing her. Even if she ignored him or turned out some nasty insults, he actually didn't mind. He wanted to be around the crazy woman. And damn it if she didn't feel the same way about him.

Hermione woke up to find her whole body aching. Everything felt heavy and she found she could barely open her eye lids, the felt like lead. But eventually the searing pain from her neck jolted her awake. It felt like she had been bitten by a snake, close to her collar bone.

As soon as she calmed down, she realised she wasn't outside against the tree anymore. She was in a large damp room, the walls made of something so familiar…she scratched the walls and flakes came off under her nails, her instincts screamed in alarm. It was dark inside and her head was swimming, so she couldn't make out much around her. She was suddenly unsure of everything, was it night time? And where was she? How did she get there? Just as she was about to jump up and stumble around for answers, a young girl came towards her.

The girl was scrawny and pale and from all Hermione could make out in the darkness, seemingly harmless enough. She even had cute little brown pigtails.

"Miss, you should drink this," the girl squeaked in a Scottish accent, holding out a bowl of what smelt like pumpkin soup.

Hermione tried to question her, but all that came out was a dry cough. Maybe she should drink it to clear her throat. Looking back from the cute little girl and the delicious smelling soup, she decided that it was a good idea. So with her head still swimming Hermione, with the help of the little girl, took a long drink of the soup, which trickled warmly down her throat.

"Thank you," she smiled, the pain in her neck and bones vanishing instantly. Actually, Hermione noted, most of the feeling in her body vanished instantly. Her mouth started to feel tight, although she found she could still talk, because she let out a mighty bellow. She had been trapped.

At the sound of her bellow, candles flared all around the room, revealing that she was actually in one of several large cages. Darting her eyes around the room as she couldn't move her neck, she counted only one person in the cages all up, and six children all standing in front of her cage as the pig tailed girl slammed the cage closed. Hermione rolled her eyes, what point was closing her cage when the little bitch had paralysed her?

"Thank you darling," an airy female voice from behind the children said, a red tipped hand patting the pig tail girl on the head. Hermione watched helplessly as a woman maybe only a few years older than herself appeared before her cage. A man of about Hermione's age appeared next to her, an ugly man, his face scarred and scowling. This man was also on all fours and she could see his ribs jutting out from the tattered and grimy rags he wore. He reminded Hermione of a feral animal. He must be some sort of pet to this woman, she concluded, judging by the submissive bow he kept giving her, not to mention the look of awe he that struck his features when glancing up at the woman.

The woman in question was nothing short of ravishing. Dressed in a tight red sweater and an equally tight brown skirt, her short blond hair framing her pleasantly heart shaped face nicely. Hermione couldn't draw her attention away from the woman's lips that were painted blood red and standing out acutely from her pale face. There was something so alarming about that colour on her, especially as her eyes glittered with malice. However Hermione knew that if she hadn't been tied up, and had met her on the street one day, she would have found her pleasant and wouldn't have thought for a minute she was capable of… well of whatever it was she was doing that involved caging people.

Just as Hermione was sizing up the women she sprung forth on the dogman and struck him.

"You shot her with two darts! You could have killed her," she hissed as the dogman cowered. Hermione was thrown off at the woman's regard for her.

"I need this stupid witch alive," she went on, "And only i will be the one to dispose of her".

Oh there we go, Hermione thought, so the woman hadn't cared about her. Helpless still, all she could do was watch as the vile woman whispered something to the children who all seemed to disappear at once. Only the dogman and the woman remained.

"Who are you?" Hermione suddenly drew up enough courage to ask. Her voice sounded strained and every syllable was an effort.

The woman just smiled at her, with a cruel twist of her lips. It was only moments later that Hermione heard a clatter and the children were back, dragging two chairs, the dogman hurrying all over himself to open the cage to let the children place the chairs inside the cage. And then to her repulsion, Hermione found herself being unceremoniously picked up by the dogman, who smelt like old cabbage she was disgusted to note, and arranged with his grubby hands into a seating position on the chair. Then as the children and the dogman exited hurriedly, the woman pulled the other chair into the cage herself and flung the door closed.

Not sitting down first, but pacing around Hermione, the woman finally pushed her chair towards Hermione and sat on it back to front. Stupid slut, Hermione thought bitterly; imagine sitting like that in a skirt!

"My name is Leann," the woman said, her voice still airy, "And you my prisoner, are a disgusting witch."

Hermione fumed, she was not going to be talked to like that.

"What the hell is your problem?" her throat hurt in the effort of yelling, "If you know I'm a witch then why the hell are you being such a bitch? I could fry your arse!"

"Ha not likely," Leann said then proceeded to giggle like she was on drugs. This unnerved Hermione so much so she was silent.

Two children suddenly appeared behind Leann with two sticks.

"Wow, two sticks," Hermione muttered. What was Leann playing at?

"Oh dear, look closer, you'll find that it's your wand," Leann giggled again as Hermione's face must have still been able to express horror.

"Ok you have my attention bitch," Hermione spat. Although she could still do magic in her mind (something she was sure Leann didn't know, judging by how she sat in the cage with her), snapping a wizard or witch's wand was the worst insult.

"I have a problem with witches and wizards," Leann began, "I'm what you call a 'muggle'".

"So what? Are you jealous or something?"

"Shut up!" One of the kid's screamed, his Scottish accent thick making him sound hoarse, accompanying the scream, he threw part of her wand at her; only it hit the one of the bars and fell harmlessly to the floor.

"Gosh having you been feeding your kids too much sugar?" Hermione said, noticing how red the kid's face was.

"No, no you have it all wrong," Leann smiled, "I saved them from becoming wizards and witches from the villages and brought them here".

"And where exactly is here?" Hermione asked curiously.

"You don't know?" Leann asked incredulously, "You little trespasser fell asleep on our hideout after all".

Shit, Hermione thought, trust her to fall asleep on some psycho's lair.

"What do you want with me? And who is that other person in the cage?" Hermione demanded.

"Well since you asked so nicely," Leann muttered sardonically, flicking her hair over her shoulders, "He is a vampire; I have been doing a few experiments on them".

"What are you, like a mad scientist or something?"

"I am not a mad scientist!" Leann's face was transformed as she snarled. Her smooth forehead creased in anger. The kids around the cage also screamed in outrage.

"Alright, alright, you're a scientist then," Hermione repaired rolling her eyes. People could be so touchy.

"Yes something like that," Leann calmed down, "and my aim is to rid the world of all who rule the world with unfair devil gifts".

"You really are jealous" Hermione accused.

Instantly she was rewarded with a slap on her cheek, which must have been so hard because she felt it.

"Why would I be jealous of devil gifts? It disgusts me how you could abuse your powers," Leann's tone changed into one of sadness, "When my brother was in wizarding school, he used to let me read all his books, sharing his knowledge up to his fourth year that is," she explained, "Something changed then, it was like he became greedy and possessive of his powers, fascinated with how he could use them to manipulate regular people".

Hermione was silent.

"He started to play with my family's minds, at first we laughed it off thinking it was game, he might move the piano from downstairs, to the middle of the bathroom, but by the end, he was making my mum's hair coming alive or bewitching our minds so we'd forget that he had tied our legs up and we'd fall over and the cruelty of his pranks escalated after he graduated," Leann's voice was angry now.

"Not all wizards and witches are like that," Hermione reassured.

"You don't think I know that," Leann screamed, "I'm not stupid, but the very fact that there is an unnaturally superior race out there, some willing to take advantage over regular people is enough to make me want to stop them".

"I don't understand why this has anything to with me," Hermione admitted, "In my job I try and stop the corruption of the magical community over muggles."

"Your job is to do what you're told and suppress the muggle community, by allowing your stupid government to have control over the people, you are its mean's of control," Leann explained to her like she was a slow child.

Whoa, thought Hermione, this chick should get with Draco… although even Draco couldn't even be as small minded in his beliefs. Just thinking about Draco made her feel strangely comforted. She could really do with a hug from him now, even though she would still refuse to speak to him… it was then that she realised Leann was speaking.

"For weeks now I have tried to get into that stupid hotel my contact has told me the summit for the international special forces would take place at, but I can't see it no matter if I'm standing right next to it," she threw her hands up in annoyance, "My plans would have been set back indeed until you came along".

"Who is your contact?" Hermione asked, was there a spy?

"My brother," Leann grinned, "not my oldest brother, I killed him after he nearly killed my parents," Hermione shuddered, she was talking about killing someone with humour in her voice, "My younger brother is also a wizard, in fact you've seen him".

"Not the dogman?" Hermione gasped.

"Hm…dogman? I suppose he is rather dog-like," she laughed, "let's just say I enjoy brainwashing and playing around with lots of what you would call 'potions', he has been under my spell, so to speak, for years".

Hermione gasped again, a muggle bewitching a wizard?

"He is a good spy when he is cleaned up nicely," Leann went on, getting up from her seat and straightening her skirt.

"But unfortunately I cannot get any information on the week's schedule," she whispered leaning into Hermione's ear, "And you are going to tell me that or I will kill one of these brats".

Hermione shook her head, not at all taken in by her bluff. But instantly she regretted it as the little kid with pig tails was brought towards the cage, the dogman's hands squeezing her neck. The little girl's flailing arms and cries of pain, changed Hermione's mind straight away and she cursed herself for underestimating Leann's ruthlessness.

"Alright I will tell you," Hermione screamed, not caring that her throat was on fire at the strain, "Just don't hurt her!"

Leann clicked her fingers and instantly the dogman dropped the little girl onto her face. Her breath was shallower than Hermione's. But gradually it deepened and the girl had enough energy to run to the other children for comfort.

"What day is it?" Hermione had to know, it felt like she had been in this place for ever.

"It Thursday morning," Leann informed her, "My idiot brother shot you in surprise with two darts so you have slept for a whole night as well as the time against what you thought was a tree".

"Oh… well then," Hermione babbled, and no one had come looking for her?

"Well girl, tell us the plan for today".

"Get me that map from my bag," Hermione just replied, of course she could have willed it to her, but Leann was proving to be truly ignorant of that advancement.

"Janice get me that map," Leann commanded and the girl with the pig tails rushed over with the map. Leann snatched it from her and Hermione saw the little girl shiver. Leann was such a hypocrite! She talked about magic folk abusing their powers, but wasn't she doing the same?

Leann held under Hermione.

"Where are we?" Hermione asked and Leann stabbed her nail at a small area two hours walk from the hotel.

"Alright well today there was to be a few lectures and more demonstrations…," Hermione suddenly remembered about Kingsley's and Moody's lectures from the afternoon before and hoped that they were around still to stop whatever Leann had planned. Also was it too much for one of them to realise her absence and rescue her?

"And?" Leann's screeches brought Hermione back to reality.

"Oh there's also this BBQ this evening, held about ten minutes away from the hotel- you do know where the hotel is right?"

Leann nodded, her nostrils flaring. Hermione knew she was still pissed off she couldn't see it.

"The BBQ is to be held in honour of this legend, this guy called Harry Potter, it's his birthday today," Hermione said, sadness suddenly overwhelming her that she hadn't seen her friend for his birthday in over a year, "He actually saved the whole world from this crazy evil wizard," she added pointedly, "He saved the muggle world too".

"Well he wouldn't have had to if the evil wizard wasn't allowed to become so powerful," Leann snapped back, "It was magic that allowed him to become so powerful and corrupt".

"What are you going to do with this information?" Hermione questioned, "It's not like I can move to stop you so you might as well tell me".

"Let's just say it's a good thing the BBQ is in the evening and another good thing I have vampires at my disposal". With that and a smirk Leann left the cage.

Hermione knew then that she was screwed.

--------

Draco was angry. He knew he had upset Hermione, but what was her deal, blowing off her oldest friends just so Draco couldn't confront her? All throughout the lecture he had looked for her but she hadn't come. Even Anthony hadn't seen her. Or he was lying… In any case Anthony had assured Draco that Hermione was a very stubborn person but there was no need to worry. She would be at the BBQ that evening. Even Kingsley and Moody had said pretty much the same thing. And Moody was always suspicious about everything.

Ok so Draco had only really started to get to know Hermione properly these last five days, but he couldn't believe she would blow off her friends or even let him worry about her. She was more of a confrontational person. Considering how he couldn't find her anywhere in the hotel, Draco came to the conclusion she must have walked off her anger and probably fallen asleep in the forest (he had slept in her room waiting for her).

Thus it was that only a few hours before the BBQ, Draco performed a tracking spell and began to follow, his broom in hand. He smiled as it lead him away from the table in the field. Maybe she wasn't as confrontational as he thought. It wasn't important. All that mattered was that he found her and then they would go from there.


	14. My hero

Chapter Fourteen: My Hero

Before the bitch had left, with the children, some weapons, the dogman and the miserable looking vampire in bonds (whom looked quite scared), she had forced Hermione to swallow a vial of disgusting black ooze.

Leann had explained it was poison in her most cheerful voice, and had left her to die; explaining that they couldn't stay and watch because they had better things to do.

So on top of dying, Hermione thought bitterly, she was alone. Hardly a minute had passed before Hermione could feel the tears start to pour out. She had never felt so pathetic and therefore it took her twice as much will to resist the temptation of sleep. Everything felt like it was on fire, so much so she nearly couldn't feel it, but for a dull throb. Closing her eyes she thought of her family, her friends, Draco…damn! She needed to survive so she could slap his smarmy face… and have sex with him.

She felt herself scowl, of course as she was dying she would think of sex. Pushing that thought away, she tried to imagine a leaf, a leaf of a plant she had read about in the library, the raw antidote to this sickness that was overcoming her. It took much needed energy and precious time, but suddenly she felt it against her face. Opening her mouth she imagined it on her tongue and as she felt the furriness of the leaf she swallowed. It was a while before she could open her eyes, and when she did she found that the spots that had started to blur her vision had vanished. Her limbs were still on fire however, as the antidote was ridding her of the poison and the feeling in her body was returning. Her cheek also hurt like hell from where, she now realised, Leann had swung at her with all her might. Just as the fire was subsiding in her limbs and her breathing became deeper she was suddenly struck down again.

She heard herself scream a piercing scream, the pain was unbearable. It was like she was being pinched and squeezed all over, the worst kinds of pins and needles ever. If this was the pain being alive meant, Hermione cursed, she was sorely tempted to drink some more poison. The spots had come back, blurring her vision and her lungs felt like they were being crushed.

So it was that Draco burst in through a wall opposite the cage, to see her screaming, on the floor shaking wildly. Hermione was dimly aware of his presence as all her symptoms stopped all at once. The shock of the sudden end making her choke and gasp for air.

"Granger!" Draco called, performing a spell that opened the cage and pulling her towards him as soon as he was through.

"It's alright," she managed to pant, "I saved myself see, I don't need you". She wasn't sure if Draco was real but she needed to let it all out, "I don't need you to hold me, kiss me, look at me, touch me or be in my thoughts all day thankyou very much," she babbled.

"Shh," Draco just replied, holding her as she couldn't stop shivering, the sweat all over her making her cold.

"Don't tell me what to do," Hermione snapped but didn't pull away. For one she still felt weak and two she didn't want to move away from his warmth.

Draco laughed holding her back so he could inspect her, "what happened to you?"

"Some crazy muggle named Leann, bent on killing all the people who helps our magical government keep control over the muggles trapped me in one of her cages".

Draco suddenly tightened his grip on her and Hermione realised he was listening to see if Leann was around.

"She's gone now, to the BBQ, I'm not sure what her plan was but she also has a terrorized vampire and six brainwashed wizarding children and an adult wizard at her mercy, so it cant be good".

"No it can't be good," Draco agreed, picking her up.

"What are you doing?" Hermione protested, refusing to put her arms around his neck.

"Hermione she nearly killed you, there's no way you have enough energy to get to the BBQ by yourself, and we have to go now," Draco said impatiently.

"Well why don't you go without me?" Hermione asked her voice sulky. Just because she had nearly died and he had raced to her like an incredibly hot knight, didn't mean she forgave him. In fact it meant that she had all the time to make him work for it.

"Because I don't want to leave you," Draco replied leaving out the 'ever again' he wanted to include. It didn't seem like a good time to freak her out or use a cliché.

"Ok then," she said, glad she didn't have to be alone again, after nearly dying alone.

"Malfoy?"

"Yes Granger?" Draco answered after scrounging around for his broom.

"She broke my wand," Hermione said before leaning into him and crying her eyes out. Of course it was more than that and Draco knew it too. He would make her tell him the whole story later.

"Hey it's alright I'll get the pieces and we'll get it fixed," Draco soothed waving his own wand, making the pieces fly towards him. Grabbing them from midair, he stuffed them into his pocket before mounting his broom, Hermione still cradled across him. Gently, Hermione allowed herself to be turned so that her legs were on either side of the broom and her back rested against his chest, while his arms encircled her, his legs doing all of the gripping and steering.

"I think she might set the vampire loose on the town nearest the hotel," Hermione managed to say, her voice thick from the tears.

"I think you are right," Draco agreed and changed the course of the broom to the nearest town.

"Do you think she has starved him?" Hermione asked, Draco feeling her shudder against him.

"I do," Draco just replied, tightening his grip on her as they went faster.

"Oh," Hermione just said and allowed sleep to overcome her.

When they arrived at the village, Hermione jolted awake by their landing, she could instantly sense something was wrong.

It was night time now, the sky was black, not the slowly darkening grey it had been when they left and as usual her instincts worked overtime as they usual did at night. She could sense people in their houses, unaware of the danger that was all around them. Lights were on in some people's windows so Draco and Hermione were forced to creep back in the shadows.

As the cool air brushed against their faces and they had traversed around most of the village, a thought struck them simultaneously.

"On the roofs," Draco and Hermione whispered at the same time.

Grinning at each other they looked up from behind some bushes, only to spot one of Leann's stolen kids acting all feral henchmen like, holding a crossbow. It seemed Leann was to lure the Special Forces out to the village with the threat of vampires and kill them off one by one, the kid's no doubt in strategic places. Hermione also had a sneaking suspicion that dogman was allowed his wand tonight.

"I'm going to head towards the BBQ," Hermione whispered, "you start disarming the kids, our guys need to be warned".

Draco started to protest but thought better of it. Letting her go but covering her the whole way through the village, he wished her luck.

When he turned back to the task at hand, he felt uneasy about Hermione but decided he had better start getting to work, before the kids harmed someone, or themselves. He had seen that nasty crossbow and hated to think about one of them misfiring.

Hermione ran until she could hear voices. Instantly she stopped and hid in the shadows, where she could see that slut Leann; flounce about in front of Kingsley, Moody and a couple of other people she recognised. And after them, were pretty much the rest of the BBQ goers, looking excited at the thought of seeing some action before them… actually most of the men looked excited to be looking at Leann.

Even though Hermione knew Leann had used sex appeal to get their attention, she was wondering at how Leann could have persuaded them to take her seriously, only to discover the answer as it walked passed her. It was the poor vampire tied up, looking sick, held by its legs and arms by two gruff looking men. Hermione suddenly realised that he vampire didn't even look strong enough to bite someone, let alone be a threat.

Stupid Leann, she found herself cursing. Before anyone else got hurt, Hermione decided to cut them off. Jumping in front of the crowd, she was met with lots of surprised shrieks. Merlin, she thought, everyone was so edgy…although it could've possibly been something to do with her almost silent footsteps and her ragged appearance, she conceded.

"Stop!" she commanded and everyone stopped, "this wench is leading you to harms way!"

"Hermione are you alright?" Moody sounded so concerned and Hermione's heart fluttered with warmth.

"Oh no they bit your poor friend!" Wailed Leann, throwing herself at Tony who had rushed forward in concern. If it was in any other situation Hermione would have laughed, the stupid hussy could grope Tony all she wanted but he would never pay her any attention.

"What are you talking about you bitch!" Hermione couldn't contain her rage, "The only vampire here is the one all tied up and restrained, and even he is so weak I don't think he could bite me even if he wanted to".

"Look at her neck!" Leann cries were so shrill that everyone did what she said.

"You do have puncture wounds," Kingsley exclaimed, gesturing at the area where the sleeping darts had pierced Hermione's skin.

Hermione could see that she was loosing the crowd, who were looking at her suspiciously. Even Moody's magical eye was trained on her and Tony looked uncertain, although to Hermione's satisfaction she noted that he had wrenched himself free of Leann.

So Hermione said the only thing she could, to prove that Leann was the villain.

"Uh that's because Leann over here- yes how do I know her name if I apparently only met her now? - had her dogman shoot me with tranquillisers, and take me inside her mad scientists' lair".

Yep that did it. She must have really hated being called a mad scientist because the scowl was back on.

"Leann is a mad scientist," Hermione exclaimed, everyone looking at her like she was mad. Leann's scowl deepened.

"Totally mad!" Hermione screamed pointing her finger at her. Everyone was slowly backing away from Hermione. All except Leann.

"She really is a mad scientist," a small weak voice was heard over the tense silence. Everyone turned to see who it had been, the voice although weak had so much conviction in it. It had been the vampire.

This proved too much for Leann who shrieked and dived at Hermione. Although Hermione was tired, she wasn't called the best for nothing, she easily dodged her. Suddenly there was a flash of silver and everyone realised that Leann had dived at Hermione with a knife, a knife that would have sank atop Hermione's heart if she hadn't have moved.

Instantly everyone whipped their wands towards Leann, but Moody was the quickest to stun her.

"So tell us Hermione, what is this 'harms way' she had planned for us?"

Just as Hermione was about to explain, Draco came up behind her, directing seven stunned floating bodies and weapons towards the ground in front of the crowd.

"Well, I think my partner should explain it, him being the one to take them down after all".

It was a few hours until everyone left Hermione and Draco to head up to their rooms. The questions had gone on for what seemed like forever, but as Moody explained, so would their story, so it seemed only fair that they forfeited the details and some of their time.

Hermione fell into bed, with lots of mixed feelings. She still hadn't made up properly with Draco… but she did know she cared for her and that they actually did make a good team when it came down to it. She had also gotten a reply to her birthday owl she had sent Harry a week ago, so it would have plenty of time to get wherever he was. Harry had written her a surprisingly long letter, summing up the feelings she had been feeling for a long time. He had written that he sorely missed being with her and Ron like the old days, even the times during the war. He was startled in fact at how much the need to see them again consumed him, and even though he loved his new life, there was nothing like being in a team. But he had ended it with the announcement that at the end of the year, he was coming back to Britain for quite along while, so she and Ron had better be around and married by then, so Ginny would stop annoying him about the fact they hadn't settled down yet. The last part had made Hermione laugh and she went to bed with a smile on her face. Harry always knew how to cheer her up.

She dreamed yet again of Draco, this time bursting in to save her from a range of nasty predicaments.


	15. Raising up a sweat

Chapter Fifteen: Raising up a sweat

Draco quietly entered Hermione's room incase she was still fast asleep. It was early afternoon and one of the last lectures of that week was beginning, but no one expected them to be up for it, after kicking some psycho butt, the deserved a sleep in.

In his hands he had a chocolate croissant, wrapped in a napkin and a cup of hot coffee. He figured Hermione had more of a chance to come around to him on a full stomach.

Just as he entered her bedroom, he heard her moan out his name. Frozen to the spot, he watched as she tossed around in the sheets, her mouth reaching up to an imaginary Draco's mouth. Suddenly she sighed and her head fell back towards the pillow. Draco willed himself not to look where her hands were, he had an excellent idea where they might be anyway, judging by her raised knees and the bunched sheets … exiting the room quietly with some trouble at willing himself to move, he was actually sweating, he had never felt so hot.

Hermione woke up feeling refreshed from her sleep. She had had many pleasant dreams; all that, she unashamedly realised, had been about Draco. Sniffing the air she suddenly caught a whiff of coffee and chocolate. Sitting up she looked around the room. Seeing no signs of either suspects she hit her pillow in annoyance. But maybe she could smell it from Draco's room… Those heavenly items were so going to be hers she swore. But first looking down at her a baggy top she slept in, she shook her head in disapproval, slipping on some track pants underneath it however she beamed. Now that she didn't feel so naked and was satisfied she wasn't showing too much skin she practically flew into his room.

Finding him in his bedroom reading the paper, sipping at the coffee made Hermione shriek, she had fallen in love with the coffee and there he was drinking it!

"Shit!" Draco swore almost spilling it on himself. Apart from her shriek, Hermione had the distinct feeling something else was unsettling him.

"Please hand over that coffee, I seriously dreamed about it so therefore it's mine," Hermione tried to sound sweet as she yanked the coffee out of his hand. Draco let go without resistance but stared at her. Had she offended him? Ok so maybe yanking away his coffee was rude…but his stare was too intense for that.

"What?" Hermione muttered her face going red. She had made sure she hadn't shown much skin, so what the hell?

"Uh…nothing," Draco said but it didn't sound like nothing. Hermione was about to say more but she spotted the untouched chocolate croissant next to him.

"Oh Merlin, wouldn't you believe I dreamed about that too?"

Draco actually choked.

"Are you alright Malfoy? You choked on air," Hermione was starting to get concerned about his behaviour.

"I'm alright Granger," he assured her, pulling at the neckline of his shirt nonetheless.

"If you say so," she muttered taking a huge bite out of the delicious croissant.

"Oh, it was just as delicious as in my dreams," she sighed, licking her lips.

Draco had had enough, it was driving him crazy, "Hermione i heard you say my name in your dreams so can you just stop!" he all but shouted.

It was Hermione's turn to choke, the bite of croissant heading down at the wrong angle. After a gulp of coffee and a few moments of coughing though, Hermione recovered enough to glare at Draco.

"You were watching me sleep?" She accused, feeling embarrassed but suppressing it with anger.

"Actually I was bringing you coffee and a croissant," Draco replied.

"Maybe I was dreaming of killing you," Hermione remarked.

"No I don't think so," He smirked back at her.

"How would you know?" Hermione hated it when he smirked at her. She slammed the coffee down on his bedside table, wanting him to know that.

"Because…," Draco began but seemed reluctant to go into details.

"Because? Oh how long did it take you to come up with that piece of genius?" she snapped, picking up the croissant but not wanting to throw it at him, it was too good for that.

"Because of the way you said my name and what you were doing with your hands," He blurted out, surprised at how long he had taken saying it. It was probably because he didn't want to embarrass her, he realised.

"Oh," she squeaked, Draco watching in fascination as her whole face changed from anger to embarrassment, her blush spreading quickly to her cheeks.

"So yeah," Draco said into the tense silence.

"So…I guess I should say sorry…so sorry," Hermione muttered, not able to look at him. Could she be more pathetic? She wondered, annoyed at herself.

"Come here," was all he said and tipped up her chin. He was smiling.

Hermione smiled back but didn't move towards him, instead she told him she needed to have a shower and left.

So Draco knows you dream of him, so what? Hermione asked herself in the shower. So what! Her mind screamed back, so he knows you want him, and that is a bad thing, considering you lose all common sense around him.

Not true, she protested, she had managed to save a lot of people from that Leann whore around him. She hadn't had gotten distracted or self conscious like she had thought she would of.

Hm…. He was the only thought in her mind the rest of her shower and although she wasn't sure how to act around him, but one thing was clear, she needed to see him again soon before she was driven crazy.

Getting out of the shower and heading into her room, she decided she would wear her usual singlet and leather pants, as she needed something familiar.

However when she saw him sitting on her bed all thoughts of clothes were driven from her mind.

"Granger," groaned Draco, observing her clad only in a towel.

"Uh...?" Hermione said intelligently.

"Sorry, I just couldn't wait," Draco explained, walking right up to her and leaning into her.

Pulling her towards him, he pushed her into a wall, his mouth inches from hers. She couldn't help shivering in anticipation..

"Do you regret having sex with me?" he demanded to know, pushing himself slightly away from her so she couldn't feel him, and so he could really look at her.

Hermione looked up at his set jaw, his eyes although wide with lust, were in a frown. He wanted her to know, he was very serious. She couldn't help it she shivered again.

"No," she replied simply, reaching for his hands, "Never".

When she had his hands in hers she put them under her bottom, before pulling himself up to his mouth, her arms around his neck. Finally, after what seemed like forever, he worked out what she was asking for and raised her off the floor, pushing her up by her bottom so she could reach his mouth.

They both groaned as their mouth's connected. Also in pushing her upwards, he had pushed her against his erection, and the pressure was both bliss and unsatisfying.

"I can't be nice to you," Hermione murmured into his ear, her wet mouth against his earlobe.

"What?"

"I can't be one of those cheery girls," she tried to explain while trying to ignore the way he was squeezing her bottom, "I'm a bitch and that's what you'll get," she found she was panting by the end of the sentence, he really was a menace with his hands.

"I should bloody hope so!" was all Draco had to say, "Now are you going to kiss me or keep talking?" he added knowing she wouldn't respond nicely to that.

Indeed she nipped at his ear and squeezed his erection in reply; little did she know that's exactly what he had wanted.

"Do it again," he panted.

"Don't tell me what to do!" she said angrily, squeezing her hips in punishment.

"I think we should settle this on the bed," he laughed.

"I already told you about my theory about fucking on the bed!" she protested.

"Now, now Granger, language," Draco mocked her, pushing her onto the bed despite her protests and unwrapping her from her towel less then delicately, "Now lay still".

Scowling, Hermione however did lie still, where he left her, looking up at him as he undressed himself with fascination. And when started to pull on a condom (from his pants pocket- She couldn't help but admire his cocky assumption that he would get sex), Hermione couldn't resist flipping on her stomach so she could watch more intently, head resting on her hands.

"Hey I said lie still," growled Draco.

"And I'm saying fuck off," Hermione swore but blew him a kiss.

"You do realise that in a few moments I will have you on your back screaming for me?" Draco murmured.

Hermione made a silent 'O' and remained quiet, watching him cautiously as he crawled towards her.

In a split second they were struggling against each other, for the top position, their naked bodies pressing against each other, the struggle intense and hot.

Suddenly though, Hermione twisted Draco's arm and had him on his stomach, straddling his lower back. He still struggled to push her off him, but Hermione used all her training to hold him down. Laughing she bent over to his ear and sucked on the lobe. He made a sound of pleasure and annoyance.

"Look who seems to be the dominant player," She couldn't help but boast, "I wonder if the Malfoy in my dreams would've faired better".

Draco growled at that and feeling extremely arrogant she went on, feeling confident enough to use one her hands to reach under and touch his erection.

"Poor little Malfoy, not living up to dreams," she teased as she touched him.

Instantly though, he pulled her off him and had her on her back, his weight pinning her down.

Startled she looked up at him, and had to look away, the mixture of hunger, lust and triumph in his eyes making her head go fuzzy.

"Oh look at that, seems a certain someone had been playing a trick on a certain someone else to let her think she could out play me," he smirked and pulled her chin up so she looked up at him again, "Maybe I should get you to take it back?"

Hermione scowled.

"Don't scowl beautiful, it's not your fault I'm stronger than you," he laughed.

In a desperate bid to prove him wrong, Hermione wriggled and pushed at him until she was panting and sweating, a sight which made Draco even harder, but he wouldn't budge. Hermione didn't want him to anyway, she liked feeling all of him pressed against her.

"Don't worry I have other ways to make you take it back," he murmured and she stopped pushing at him as he crashed his mouth onto hers and made her cry out in pleasure as his hands worked at her.

As she was feeling the familiar warmth spreading below her stomach, Draco ducked his head down and swapped his fingers with his tongue. Hermione screamed in gratification as his tongue caused her to almost pass out. She had seriously never felt such a sensation before. When it was over she struggled to relax her body, Draco having to hold her until her heart rate settled. Her breathing was so ragged it hurt.

"Ok I take it back," she managed to mumble, making Draco laugh loudly.

"Thanks darling," he said kissing her forehead, making to let her fall asleep in his arms, but Hermione wasn't a selfish lover, and plus she wanted the real shit and what he had done was just foreplay.

Slowly pushing herself on top of him, so that she straddled him, she leaned over the bed to grab his discarded pants, all the while, her hips still squeezing his, making him moan. Finding another condom, she disposed of the used one in the bin on the other side of the bed. Looking down at Draco, she smirked as she saw his eyes closed.

"Look at me," she demanded, suddenly feeling very powerful, sitting back onto the top of his legs, her hands running up his thighs. Immediately his eyes flickered open and he looked at her with a delicious look in his eyes, delighting in watching her, naked breasted and smirking, roll on a condom. She even nearly managed to make the oh- so- accidental repeated rubbings up and down look like it was the result of putting on the condom.

"Damn it woman!" he moaned sitting up so his back leaned against the headboard, making to grab her and throw her onto her back.

"Oh no you don't," she protested, slapping away his hands and pinning them to his sides.

At his protests, she rubbed herself against him, affectively quietening all protests. He watched in awe as she suddenly slammed herself on him, making him groan as he was fully inside her. But just as soon as he was fully inside her, she moved upwards, making him shiver with loss and anticipation.

"Please, please let me touch you," Draco begged and Hermione was undone when he leaned forward and gently brushed her collarbone with his lips.

Instantly his hands grabbed her butt and he helped her quicken the pace. As he was beginning to loose himself and he was crying out, Hermione slapped his hands away and held herself above him, reminding him of the time he had done it to her.

"Granger," he moaned but she still only brushed the tip of him.

"Granger you dirty little witch!" he moaned helplessly again, feeling uncharacteristically at someone's mercy.

"Say it," she demanded, panting heavily from denying herself as well as him.

"Alright you're just as strong as me!" he called out. Instantly he was rewarded as she plunged down on him and he was fully inside her, the effect intense and causing them to both cry out as they climaxed. It was a few minutes before they could even talk let alone breathe properly again.

Pulling Hermione closer against him Draco was the first to speak.

"I love...what we have," he announced pausing somewhat awkwardly after the 'L' word. He never used the 'L' word unless he was talking about coffee. Hermione just kissed him reassuringly on the mouth however and suddenly it was completely natural.


	16. Author's note

A/N: I've decided to take this story in another direction so in order to do that I've had to delete the chapter 'meeting justice'. But I'm replacing it with a new chapter called 'ending it' which I think is much better. Thanks for reading


	17. Ending it

Chapter Seventeen: Ending it

Draco and Hermione were almost inseparable for the rest of the summit after the whole Leann incident. But it was bittersweet. They didn't know what would happen when they went back home and they avoided talking about it, until of course they were back home… which is when things got awkward. Procrastination really explodes in your face is the lesson that both of them would soon learn.

"So here we are." Draco announced after they apparated back to an empty office next to Neil's.

"Ow," replied Hermione as she landed on their luggage yet again, cursing floo powder and its creator. Luckily she was wearing her usual singlet and pants this time, she thought, except she didn't feel relieved or proud like she would have two weeks ago. Hermione had grown comfortable with Draco, the question was would it last back home?

Draco laughed as he pictured her doing the same thing in Scotland and he pulled her upright, only this time he pulled her towards him and didn't let her go as she landed against his chest. Suddenly images of everything they had done in their hotel rooms in Scotland came racing back into their minds and at that moment it was all any of them could do to buckle under the overwhelming sensations that overcame them. Draco bent down to lower his mouth to hers only to be suddenly interrupted by a knock on the door.

Immediately like a scared rabbit Hermione was on the other side of the room, a blush of embarrassment as well as shame for flinching away spreading over her cheeks. Draco cleared his throat pointedly not looking at Hermione, feeling stung.

He moved towards the door and Hermione drank him all in as if she would never get to see him again, setting the aside the image of him in her mind for later use. Draco looked powerful in those black suit pants he always wore in the office and her favourite white collared shirt that teased her with a faint outline of his muscles underneath, making her shiver despite herself.

Dutifully Draco unlocked the door with a click and opened it to their boss Neil.

"Ah I was hoping you both arrived back by now, especially as Stevens over there wants his office back, he was pretty annoyed when I locked him out of here," Neil laughed good naturedly as he let himself in.

"So I heard about the bust you both uncovered while you were at the summit, good job, you two do make a good team." He commended them ignorant to the tension in the room.

"Thankyou." They both mumbled at the same time, caught up in their own thoughts.

"Would you like a day off to settle back in?" Neil offered generously as he picked up Hermione's bags like a gentlemen and ushered them out of the office.

"Um sure," Hermione shrugged, she could do with a bubble bath and of course some time away from Draco's intrusive presence.

"Not me chief I wouldn't mind working." Draco said. He wasn't about to be left alone with his thoughts.

"Nice of you to offer Mr Malfoy but if your partner isn't working, you aren't either," Neil chuckled mistaking Draco's insistence as enthusiasm; he was in such a pleasant mood.

"We have finally found you a partner," Neil beamed, as if everything was suddenly balanced and perfect in the world right now, "I thought it was impossible but here she is." He went on more to himself then them.

Hermione felt herself shrinking as they continued walking to the elevator. She suddenly found the expectations too high, which was a major first for her.

Draco threw her a look as Neil left them waiting at the elevator and immediately wished he hadn't as he saw her biting her bottom lip absently, her eyes clouded as if she was in deep thought.

"So are we just going to pretend like it never happened?" Draco asked coldly as the elevator doors opened and they filed in to the emptiness.

"Of course not," Hermione answered equally coldly as the doors shut behind them.

"Then what the hell? Why are you acting like I'm some stranger?" Draco demanded, turning towards her and making her face him with a slight tug of her arm.

Hermione looked down at where he touched her, poorly suppressing a shiver of want.

"See I affect you, you can't just dismiss this." Draco pointed out.

"I admit I'm attracted to you and I like being with you… but-".

"Oh here we go," Draco interrupted, "It's always a 'but' with you, it's not like I wanted to be with you of all people, I mean I have other options," he added so he didn't sound so needy, he didn't want to be one of those 'whipped' guys.

"Right," Hermione said, swallowing a lump in her throat. So she wasn't good enough.

"Don't be like that, I didn't mean it like that…. just that… Dammit why is it always me in the wrong? You're the one that jumped away from me back there." He defended himself.

"Yes but I think I was justified, after all we aren't in Scotland anymore and we aren't in some fantasy, this is the real world," She snapped, pulling herself free of him as the elevator opened on the ground floor, "I also have other options." She added as she got out, lugging her suitcase behind her as she tried to stalk off. Unfortunately for her, Draco was persistent.

"Well excuse me if I say I'm not worried," he said angrily as he caught up with her, why did he always end up chasing her? "I know enough about you to call you on that bluff." He accused.

Hermione blushed but carried on walking her brisk pace, planning on walking to her hotel.

"No way am I leaving you to walk to your hotel with your heavy suitcase, even if we are pissed at each other." Draco protested, "I had them drive my car here for a reason."

Hermione glared at him, but after seeing the logic in his argument headed over to his car, making sure their hands touched as she gave him her suitcase, she just needed to touch him. At this Draco looked up at her questionably but she gave no answer for her behaviour and instead just slipped into the passenger side.

After he had put both their suitcases in the back of his car with a sigh, he got in and started the car, with barely a glance in Hermione's direction. When they got onto the main road however he spoke.

"Granger I don't know what you're doing to me."

"I'm not doing anything," she protested playing with her hands in her lap.

Draco laughed a surprised laugh, and Hermione closed her eyes enjoying the sound. Draco witnessed her do this and sighed, what he wouldn't give to have her in his arms right then.

"You make me so hot and cold, I don't know if I want scream or kiss you," he admitted.

"Hey you aren't so easy to be with either, I'm not about to let myself relax around you, you do stuff to me," Hermione accused before groaning at what she had just said.

"Oh I know what 'stuff' I do to you, but you are always willing Granger." Draco retorted with a smirk.

"Shut up and drive me home," she muttered.

"I hope that's an invite." Draco couldn't resist teasing her.

Hermione clicked her tongue at that, but she felt her whole body flush as she thought about what they would do if he came back to her hotel room.

"I bet I know what you're thinking," Draco said quietly and Hermione closed her eyes trying to block out the inappropriate thoughts and the sexy sound of his voice.

"I bet you're thinking of me pulling this car over to the side of the road, pulling you outside, only to press you up against your side of the car, and finish what we should've two weeks ago." his voice suddenly dropped off at that and Hermione opened her eyes in annoyance at the abrupt end, usually he had her panting by the end of his talks… nevertheless the anticipation of it had aroused her to the point of recklessness.

"Come home with me," she surprised herself by demanding, but she knew she would have always asked him to. It took a long time for him to reply though to Hermione's surprise and she grew anxious.

"Not today, things are going to be different" he said resolutely, although his body told a different story.

"What?" Hermione gasped in disbelief.

"I said no." His jaw clenched in determination as he pulled into her hotel's parking lot.

"Are you serious?" Hermione found her voice was rising. She was overcome with feelings of intense rejection, "Am I suddenly not good enough for you now?"

"It's not that, just please go before I ruin this," he said more harshly then he wanted to. He couldn't even risk getting out to help her with her bags, just in case his resolute came crashing down and he ended up going up to her room.

The reason for this sudden change was the Draco had suddenly figured out just moments ago why Hermione affected him so, he couldn't believe he hadn't seen it before… probably because he wasn't familiar with the feeling. The truth was he actually cared about Hermione, really cared, as in enough to not completely mean just sex to her. Maybe when they had both calmed down, he could tell her how he felt, without it being confused with after sex talk. This wasn't just some fling, ending in Scotland; this was real and all consuming. He knew she must feel it to.

Hermione felt tears prick her eyes. She didn't know what was going on in Draco's head, all she knew was that she was being rejected and demanded out of his sight. Maybe she had been too cold towards him? Maybe he was suddenly sick of her hesitations and hypocritical actions and words… maybe he wanted something simpler. She fumbled with her seat belt, her eyes blurring with tears she hastily wiped away in anger.

"Please just go". He couldn't even look at her, he was so tempted.

"Okay I'm going." Her voice shook and she was surprised at how much her heart ached at his rejection of her.


	18. Confusion

Chapter Eighteen: Confusion.

That night was spent in confusion for Hermione. She went through every single thing they had said to each other, to find some rational reason for the sudden change in Draco. But to her dismay she found that there was only one conclusion she could reach, she couldn't help considering that their whole 'relationship' sounded like some prank he might have played on her a month ago to leave. Maybe he just knew she was getting attached and wanted more from him or maybe he knew that if they had sex in the real world it would mean so much more and he had to stop it. But the manner in which he stopped it was heartless and cruel…but if it got her to leave then maybe he thought it was necessary? And to think she was concerned about his feelings after flinching away from him in Stevens' office. He had just wanted to end it on his own terms. She felt stupid and used.

She had wanted more from Draco… but who was Draco? She hardly knew him really and it was becoming painfully clear that lust had blinded her from his intentions, intentions that had been very clear from the start. She remembered noting him as a player out to use every trick in the book to get her to leave. She had just wanted to believe his false words of niceties and therefore had. Ah a moment of weakness. She was only human after all and refused to blame herself for being played so well. She went over all they had said that day once more before she was finally convinced that she had managed to read too much into every single exchange between them. Stupid, stupid, stupid, she chided herself. Hermione groaned as she looked at the clock which read 2am. How was she going to face him at work? And more to the point was she going to give in and leave?

Draco all but drowned himself when he showered that night. He could hardly function with his mind preoccupied entirely on a certain someone and how he was going to approach her tomorrow. What would he say? He wasn't exactly the relationship type… nor could he pretend to be. But one thing was for sure; he didn't feel casual towards Hermione and couldn't stand playing any more games.

His insides froze for a moment in horror. What if she accepted him but he decided he didn't like her anymore? After all it was said that the chase is better than the catch…. Draco groaned. He bet Hermione would love knowing how much agony she had cause him. Although if he remembered correctly he had caused her much agony that afternoon, throwing back her indecent proposal in her face, after encouraging it no less. Oh Merlin, what if she rejected him because of that? His hands fumbled with the shower handles, accidentally causing a full spray of cold water to bucket down on him, just what he needed.

When finally Draco could take it no more he stepped out of the shower not bothering with a towel, his whole body tingling from the cold. Wiping the mirror down he briefly managed to chance a look at himself before it fogged up again. He looked like shit. Which was probably due to the incessant nagging at the back of his mind telling him she didn't feel the same way, after all they hardly knew each other. But really, the stubborn part of his mind started in defence, they knew enough about each other as anyone did when they just started a real relationship… after a purely sexual one.

Later when Draco sat down for dinner he found he wasn't hungry. Pushing his plate aside he held his head in his hands. This wouldn't do. His doubts were consuming him. What if she didn't feel that way? Should he risk everything to… what ask her to be his girlfriend? That sounded stupid and immature like he was a teenager. He couldn't imagine Hermione and himself dating like normal people and socialising as a couple with each of their own very different social circles. There was too much history, violence and the sex thing. They seemed to have gone about everything the wrong way round, they were just too different.

Maybe he just wouldn't say anything then. Maybe he would rejoice in the new tension that was surely to be there between Hermione and himself at work. Maybe he should just move on. He sighed loudly moving into his bedroom with the dismal thought that he may as well get a head start on what was sure to be a sleepless night. He didn't even know for sure if he hated Hermione or liked her. Everything was grey when it concerned her. Nothing was a simple black and white, and he needed that simplicity. He didn't want to go through another war.

-----

The next morning the skies were almost black as the rain pelted down on the city and Draco couldn't help feeling that it was all very ominous. Even the weatherman on the Muggle radio at Draco's favourite café was conspiring against him, encouraging everyone to stay at home if they could and snuggle up with their partner under the doonas. Must he be reminded that he was alone? But maybe not for long… he was troubled and still indecisive. Sighing he drained the rest of his coffee and got up pulling on his coat. With a small resigned wave to the boss of the coffee shop he left, ready to face Hermione.

Hermione woke up feeling groggy and disorientated. Looking at her clock she realised she was late for work by an hour already. Swearing profoundly she hurried into the shower, cursing every object she stumbled over.

It was another hour before she arrived at work, absolutely soaked. Today was already not a good day for Hermione. As if it wasn't bad enough that Draco had to be a stupid prick and offend her in every way possible, she was late and probably looked like a drowned rat.

As the elevator doors closed she was confronted with her reflection. She smiled slightly in relief as she took off her coat. Most of her clothes were completely dry; it was only her wet hair that stuck to her neck that looked tragic. But the last thing she wanted was a see-through top when she faced Draco today, so she'd take a bad hair day over a see-through top any day.

Maybe today wouldn't be so bad.

Yeah and maybe she and Draco could be the best of friends she thought sardonically, she wasn't going to kid herself. Today was going to be torture.

--------

Draco was holed up in Neil's office for most of the morning. It seemed like the Potter's were coming back to London semi-permanently and it was going to be his and Hermione's new assignment to guard over them while they got their bearings.

Draco had to stop himself from rolling his eyes as Neil went on and on about how important it was and what an honour it was for his department to be asked. For one so smart Neil really could be dumb sometimes. Draco had it on good authority that a certain vice minister had pulled a few strings so that Hermione could go on that detail… Ron probably hadn't counted on Draco being her partner that much was certain. He probably had arranged it as far back as when she was still working in Paris.

Whatever. It would look good in his portfolio when Neil would eventually offer Draco his post. And then things would be turned around. No more lying to the public or handing over evidence to Public affairs where it would be manipulated by whatever ulterior purposes the ministry had. That was the real reason why he had stuck in there for so long. After he's experiences as a puppet for the death eaters and being victim to manipulation he wanted an end to it all.

Just as Neil paused to have a sip of his now cold coffee there was a knock at the door. Draco's thoughts turned instantly to Hermione. Would she finally arrive? Maybe she had left the country… he had been rather brutal. But then again the one thing she was known for was her stubbornness. And Draco was surprised that that was the one thing he was counting on even after all the grief he had encountered with that particular attribute.


	19. Is that it?

Chapter Nineteen: Is that it?

"Come in," Neil called as he pushed he's cup aside.

Draco's heart thundered in his ears. Why was he so nervous? Irrationally he imagined that Neil could hear his heart thunder even more loudly as the door opened…

…Only to admit a young woman he had never seen before. The woman was visibly stunning in the conventional way, as in well dressed for the office, tall, slim, not-a-blonde-hair-out-of-place, but she was no Hermione and Draco found that the woman's presence only aroused feelings of impatience. Where on earth was Hermione? She was not one to hide from conflict.

Neil was standing up by the time Draco tuned back into his surroundings; and by the look on Neil's face he was also expecting Draco to do the same.

"Draco, I'd like to introduce Hailey Jones," Neil gestured towards the woman who was already making to shake Draco's hand with a sly smile.

"Uh…hello," He managed to throw her a half hearted smile back as they shook hands. But really, he was just running out of patience and he threw Neil a look hoping to convey that feeling.

"Take a seat," was all Neil said and something in his tone made Draco swallow his protests and sit down. Neil was definitely about to drop a bomb on him he could tell.

"The bad news Mr Malfoy, is that Miss Granger will no longer be your partner," Neil obviously didn't notice Draco's face pale as he blundered on, "The good news is that it wasn't your fault and that this young agent has in fact requested to be your partner…it seems your reputation has somewhat improved, no doubt it was Miss Granger's influence."

Draco just stared from Hailey's well made up face, to Neil's questioning look.

"This is a joke isn't it?" Draco asked incredulously. Hailey looked offended at that and her flirty smile vanished instantly.

"No it certainly isn't, you honestly didn't think France was going to let us keep Miss Granger did you?" Neil's frown deepened, "They have been fighting our ministry to get her back the whole time she was working here…ah excuse us for a moment Miss Jones, I have to speak with Draco in private."

Hailey nodded and reluctantly left what was turning out to be a spectacle.

---

Hermione didn't expect to see Gabbie on the other side of the elevator doors. Hell she still thought her sleep deprived mind was hallucinating when Gabbie explained her situation.

"Finally your ministry has signed off on your transfer back to France," Gabbie was all smiles at this triumph, "it took quite a lot of minor battles with the system they have over here, but I was able to push my request to top priority with a few called in favours."

"I appreciate it," Hermione replied, forcing herself to project more enthusiasm then she felt, after all Gabbie had pulled a lot of strings just for her.

"Yes but you are worth it," Gabbie said and on seeing her look abashed laughed loudly, "don't worry I will not tell anyone."

"Oh ha, ha," Hermione muttered as Gabbie continued to chuckle at her red face.

"Ah getting back to business, do you want to say good bye to anyone?" Gabbie looked down at her wizarding watch anxiously.

"What, are we leaving right now?" Hermione couldn't help her tone from sounding indignant. After all she had only been told she was leaving a few minutes ago.

"Yes I know it's so soon, I only found out this morning myself, but we must leave before the English ministry changes its mind," Gabbie explained apologetically, "I'm under strict orders to leave within the half hour, unfortunately our intelligence gathered information about a potential challenge by the vice minister here."

Hermione groaned inwardly. Trust Ron to interfere.

"Alright, as long as you have people getting my luggage from the hotel I'm ready to go." Hermione agreed. In a way this was a godsend. She didn't have to see Draco for the rest of her life if she didn't want to…which didn't comfort her as much as she thought it would. She guessed the memory of the passionate experiences she had with him, far surpassed her recent embarrassment and feelings of rejection and disappointment.

"Did you want to say goodbye to Agent Malfoy and Directeur Neil?" Gabbie asked gently, interpreting Hermione's clouded eyes as sadness at their parting, which it was in a way. It was more to do with relief really; she could finally get back to her black and white world.

"No I think it'll be easier this way, it's not like I was here for that long anyway to make such an impression." If Gabbie heard the misgivings in Hermione's voice she didn't say anything as she led her to the ministry's floo network.

Hermione paused in front of the designated fire place, she knew that she was running away of sorts. Was this what she wanted? Of course it was, her mind scolded her, and a clean cut was less messy to heal… even if it meant Draco would hate her for it. It wasn't like hate was always far from the equation with them anyway.

Just as she stepped into the green flames that would take her back to France she saw him. She shivered slightly, glad that she was in the flames because boy did he look pissed. And then she was gone.

"So it's like that is it?" Draco reflected to himself darkly. Maybe it was a good thing he didn't get to say anything he might've regretted… maybe it was a good thing things ended on his term, even if it wasn't at all what he wanted.

Welcome back black and white, the simplicity he thought he'd always craved. When what he found he really wanted was a war.

----

It would be a whole year before they saw each other again.

---


	20. A's note

A/N: The sequel is up!


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